Richie Marley Madyira was born in Harare in 1989. He was granted a scholarship by British National Tobacco to study Visual Art & Design at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. After completing his course he exhibited at the National Gallery as well as Gallery Delta. Richie is now living and working in Cape Town and has his work exhibited in numerous local galleries. His work can be found in the Hollard and Nando's Canada collections.
His colourful paintings are predominantly figurative and rooted in his lived experiences. He tackles themes such as living conditions in the poor communities to the hardship he has experienced as a child and subsequently as an immigrant. He often remembers how conflicts would arise in his
family due to religious disputes against traditional rituals. This has affected
his perception of faith and religion and is often emphasized in his artworks.
Besides his critique on religious dogma’s, he also
sympathises with fellow immigrants who find new homes all over the African
continent where they are often discouraged. Many of the portraits he painted
represent these Zimbabwean individuals.
