ISHMAEL “Ish” Marimirofa is a versatile artist who specialises in scaled down works made from found materials.
His delicately crafted mini sculptures and paintings counter a general movement towards the monumental.
While many artists prefer to create larger works in order to attract more attention, small works draw people in for a more intimate experience.
Marimirofa’s latest body of work has a special appeal that deserves a seal of approval.
The artist’s raw materials are by-products of human consumption such as matchsticks, crinkly chewing gum, candy wrappers, wood, wire, aluminium containers of various beverages and other bits of stuff.
The small artworks are a delightful escape into a microcosmic world.
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It makes Marimirofa one of a kind who comfortably straddles the boundary between mainstream and outsider art.
Through the artist’s anti-monumental works of art viewers might be reminded of Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift, whose satirical story Gulliver’s Travels recounts a protagonist who is stranded on Lilliput, an island populated by tiny creatures and human beings.
It is to a similar Lilliputian world that Marimirofa invites his audience.
Although he refers to his process as upcycling, the work carries more meaning apart from being climate friendly and raising consciousness about the environment.
It cultivates a sense of observation in a meditative way.
By paying close attention, the viewer may experience detachment from their general surroundings and release from social anxiety.
“My work is driven by a profound belief in the inherent value and dignity of every individual, as seen through the eyes of a higher power,” says the Harare School of Art and Design (Studio One Graphics), Mt Hampden Youth Training Centre and Chinhoyi University of Technology alumnus.
“This process serves as a metaphor for the inherent worth of every human being. If we can breathe new life into discarded objects, why not extend the same compassion and understanding to our fellow humans?”
He adds: “Ultimately, my art strives to inspire a sense of empathy, compassion and unity. I aim to contribute to a world where every individual is valued, respected and cherished.”
It is a refreshing change of perspective to go from a wide expansive view to a childlike observation of the minutiae.
His sentiments echo the words of another English man, poet William Blake in the poem Auguries of Innocence, which carries the famous line “To see a World in a grain of sand, And a Heaven in a wild flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.”
Brightly coloured candy wrappers look familiar because they resemble java-printed fabric used for tailoring so-called African attire.
The wrappers, which commonly litter public spaces, are an almost permanent feature on the margin of consciousness for a Zimbabwean audience.
Having them turn up and playing a different function in the context of art can jolt a viewer into self-awareness.
When lay people are intimidated by contemporary art, it is often because they struggle to connect with an artist’s ideas and concept.
Marimirofa’s work with the candy wrappers is intriguing to anyone who has ever popped a piece of candy into their mouth and mindlessly tossed the packaging.
The artist applies his technique over mixed media painting and sculptures.
He brings a spotlight on women through characters that are gracefully crafted from wire and are depicted doing individual or group activities.
Some are depicted hanging the laundry to dry and others are assembled in a choir or walking down the street while carrying domestic goods.
The characters constructed by the artist are sketchy and abstract like the lines in a Jean-Michel Basquiat portrait, but their proportion and gestures give them a sense of movement surpassing mere portraiture.
Marimirofa has a knack for fashioning limbs in a way that makes his protagonist’s gestures appear natural and elegant while singing, walking or doing household chores.
Small works of art have not been celebrated enough.
Part of the reason may be unconscious bias by curators towards works that create a spectacle, like the monumental installations of El Anatsui, Ibrahim Mahamma and Moffat Takadiwa, which have been used to cover entire or large parts of a building.
Size has also been used as a measure to gauge price.
Others may have purposely overlooked miniature works out of concern that they can be overshadowed by regular sized artworks when included in the same exhibition.
On the other hand, the general public is accustomed to overwhelming and large visuals that are put up for commercial reasons.
Some large artworks are outsize gestures that betray inflated egos and vain ambition.
Lack of exposure has left many with a misconception that accomplished miniature works are created for novelty and as a gimmick to show off mere skill.
Miniaturism responds to a demand for intimacy, where the viewer is required to be as close as possible.
It could be as if a parent was going to give their sleeping child a goodnight kiss.
It is with similar detachment from outside observers that the creator completes their absorbing task.
In spite of unfavourable bias on the art scene, Marimirofa has sustained a growing career without being distracted.
His work may retain consistent quality, but patrons will differ among themselves by showing preference for certain projects or phases of his career.
Just as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso has some of his works divided by critics and art historians into the “Blue Period” and the “Rose Period”.
Preferring Marimirofa’s latest body of artworks does not invalidate his older work and various successful experiments in his chosen medium.
But at the moment, the new works stand out as relatable, charming and insightful.
To witness an artist during such a moment of exceptional brilliance is a privilege worth celebrating.