Shamilla Aasha
Biography
Born 1977 Hwange, Zimbabwe. Lives and works in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Shamilla Aasha is a practicing artist and teacher of art and design. After many years of working in painting and mixed media, in 2018 Aasha re-engage with her love of textiles through exploration of her multi-cultural background as a Shona and Indian woman living in Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe. Developing complex works addressing issues related to merging cultures and traditional practices and how they influence identity, spirituality and social status for herself and other women in her community.
Aasha’s works defy attempts at categorisation, incorporating weaving, tapestry as well as engaging with the idea and history of painting. They emerge as soft sculptures, wall-hangings made from found objects as well abstract embroideries. She describes them as sacred objects, a fitting metaphor for her narratives. This metaphor is further expanded on, as she uses sewing patterns, fabric and stitching. This process allows her to create new patterns from the old and with each layer creating a palmistry language.
Shamilla has participated in numerous exhibitions locally regionally and internationally. She is currently part of an ongoing, regional collaborative project, which is interrogating the participation of women in land redistribution in Southern Africa.
In addition to artistic practice, Shamilla also continues to nurture creativity minds through her trust-Asha Children’s Trust, an organisation devoted to creating safe spaces for young creatives grow and thrive outside the formal education sector.
Education
2000 Diploma Textile Design, Bulawayo School of Art and Design
Exhibitions
2024: RMB Latitudes Art Fair, First Floor Gallery Harare, Johannesburg, South Africa
2023: Artissima, First Floor Gallery Harare, Turin, Italy
2023: Messe Messe (Group Exhibition), First Floor Gallery Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
2023: Tomorrows/Today (solo), Investec Cape Town Art Fair, First Floor Gallery Harare, Cape Town, South Africa
2022: Artissima, First Floor Gallery Harare, Turin, Italy
2021: I Draw Therefore I Think, South South online. First Floor Gallery Harare, Zimbabwe
2021: Breathing Time, Solo exhibition. First Floor Gallery, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
2021: Nyika/Ilizwe/Nation Collective Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2019: Womens’ Exhibition -Better Balance, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2019: PPC Imaginarium (2019) National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare Recipient of Commendation in Jewellery Category.
2018: BUKA group Exhibition -The Suttie Art Space-Aberdeen, Harare contemporary, First Circle Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
2018: Womens’ Exhibition-Equality Collective Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2018: Ties that Bind, First Floor Gallery Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe
2016: The Great Shakespeare-Intwasa Festival, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2012: On the Stoep –Suburbs Bulawayo, Poetic Brush-Bulawayo Theatre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2010: Truth telling exhibition -Radio Dialogue. Bulawayo Club. Poetic brush –Bulawayo Theatre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2010: Calling of my Soul –Solo exhibition. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2009: Confrontation and Reconciliation exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2007: Women of the Cloth and Stone, Embassy of the United States of America in Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2004: Chairperson of the Visual Artists Association of Bulawayo, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2000-2004: Young Artists and Visual Artists Association of Bulawayo (VAAB) exhibitions during this period
Workshops/Residencies
2019: Nyika/Ilizwe/Nation Workshop Zimbabwe and South Africa collaborative project, interrogating the participation of woman in land redistribution in Southern Africa.
2019: Moving Stories and Travelling Rhythms workshop with Penny Siopis.
2018: First Solo residency, First Floor Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
2007: Falcon College Cultural Weekends-Art Facilitator.
2003: Women in Visual Arts Bulawayo- co-ordinator. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe–Bulawayo.
2003: Dhinda printmaking and exhibition -co-ordinator. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Bulawayo.
2003: Masiyephambili Artists Workshop –co-ordinator and curator of the exhibition. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe –Bulawayo.
Born 1977 Hwange, Zimbabwe. Lives and works in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Shamilla Aasha is a practicing artist and teacher of art and design. After many years of working in painting and mixed media, in 2018 Aasha re-engage with her love of textiles through exploration of her multi-cultural background as a Shona and Indian woman living in Matabeleland region of Zimbabwe. Developing complex works addressing issues related to merging cultures and traditional practices and how they influence identity, spirituality and social status for herself and other women in her community.
Aasha’s works defy attempts at categorisation, incorporating weaving, tapestry as well as engaging with the idea and history of painting. They emerge as soft sculptures, wall-hangings made from found objects as well abstract embroideries. She describes them as sacred objects, a fitting metaphor for her narratives. This metaphor is further expanded on, as she uses sewing patterns, fabric and stitching. This process allows her to create new patterns from the old and with each layer creating a palmistry language.
Shamilla has participated in numerous exhibitions locally regionally and internationally. She is currently part of an ongoing, regional collaborative project, which is interrogating the participation of women in land redistribution in Southern Africa.
In addition to artistic practice, Shamilla also continues to nurture creativity minds through her trust-Asha Children’s Trust, an organisation devoted to creating safe spaces for young creatives grow and thrive outside the formal education sector.
Education
2000 Diploma Textile Design, Bulawayo School of Art and Design
Exhibitions
2024: RMB Latitudes Art Fair, First Floor Gallery Harare, Johannesburg, South Africa
2023: Artissima, First Floor Gallery Harare, Turin, Italy
2023: Messe Messe (Group Exhibition), First Floor Gallery Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
2023: Tomorrows/Today (solo), Investec Cape Town Art Fair, First Floor Gallery Harare, Cape Town, South Africa
2022: Artissima, First Floor Gallery Harare, Turin, Italy
2021: I Draw Therefore I Think, South South online. First Floor Gallery Harare, Zimbabwe
2021: Breathing Time, Solo exhibition. First Floor Gallery, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
2021: Nyika/Ilizwe/Nation Collective Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2019: Womens’ Exhibition -Better Balance, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2019: PPC Imaginarium (2019) National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare Recipient of Commendation in Jewellery Category.
2018: BUKA group Exhibition -The Suttie Art Space-Aberdeen, Harare contemporary, First Circle Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
2018: Womens’ Exhibition-Equality Collective Exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2018: Ties that Bind, First Floor Gallery Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe
2016: The Great Shakespeare-Intwasa Festival, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2012: On the Stoep –Suburbs Bulawayo, Poetic Brush-Bulawayo Theatre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2010: Truth telling exhibition -Radio Dialogue. Bulawayo Club. Poetic brush –Bulawayo Theatre, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2010: Calling of my Soul –Solo exhibition. The National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2009: Confrontation and Reconciliation exhibition, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2007: Women of the Cloth and Stone, Embassy of the United States of America in Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
2004: Chairperson of the Visual Artists Association of Bulawayo, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
2000-2004: Young Artists and Visual Artists Association of Bulawayo (VAAB) exhibitions during this period
Workshops/Residencies
2019: Nyika/Ilizwe/Nation Workshop Zimbabwe and South Africa collaborative project, interrogating the participation of woman in land redistribution in Southern Africa.
2019: Moving Stories and Travelling Rhythms workshop with Penny Siopis.
2018: First Solo residency, First Floor Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
2007: Falcon College Cultural Weekends-Art Facilitator.
2003: Women in Visual Arts Bulawayo- co-ordinator. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe–Bulawayo.
2003: Dhinda printmaking and exhibition -co-ordinator. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe Bulawayo.
2003: Masiyephambili Artists Workshop –co-ordinator and curator of the exhibition. Sponsored Alliance Françoise de Bulawayo. Exhibition held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe –Bulawayo.