Moffat Takadiwa's Solo Show 'The Crown!' at Semiose Gallery Confronts Post-Colonial Waste

Moffat Takadiwa's solo exhibition 'The Crown!' runs through May 16 at Semiose in Paris. The Harare-based artist creates elaborate sculptures from discarded consumer items like keyboard keys, toothbrush heads, combs, and nail polish parts, which he collects from landfills near Mbare, Zimbabwe. For nearly two decades, Takadiwa has amassed thousands of plastic and metal objects, sorting them meticulously in his studio. Curator Fernanda Brenner notes in the exhibition essay that the work addresses Africa's 'post-colonial afterlife,' a tension Takadiwa describes as the 'colonial hangover.' Afro combs appear throughout the show, carrying historical weight from African traditions to colonial self-fashioning and contemporary Black political pride. The compositions feature repetitive patterns that resemble tapestries, with details like aged yellowing keyboard keys emerging upon close inspection. Brenner observes that the beauty of the work complicates its critique of overconsumption, stating that rearranging materials doesn't erase their origins. Takadiwa operates an artist-run space in Mbare, located in a former colonial beer hall. Specific works in the exhibition include 'Muchapihwa Korona,' 'Combed Hair' (2026), 'The Crown (2)' (2026), 'Pink Nails' (2026), 'The Consumer Portrait' (2026), and 'Daily Reflections' (2026), all made from assorted post-consumer waste.