Sekai Machache is a Zimbabwean-Scottish visual artist and curator based in Glasgow, Scotland. Her work is a deep interrogation of the notion of self, in which photography plays a crucial role in supporting an exploration of the historical and cultural imaginary. Aspects of her photographic practice are formulated through digital studio-based compositions utilising body paint and muted lighting to create images that appear to emerge from darkness.
In recent works she expands to incorporate other media and approaches that evoke that which is invisible and undocumented. She is interested in the relationship between spirituality, dreaming and the role of the artist in disseminating symbolic imagery to provide a space for healing against contexts of colonialism and loss. Sekai is the recipient of the 2020 RSA Morton Award and is an artist in residence with the Talbot Rice Residency Programme 2021-2023. Sekai will be exhibiting at the 60th La Biennale de Venezia in 2024 as part of Zimbabwe’s Pavilion. Sekai works internationally and often collaboratively, for and with her community and is a founding and organising member of the Yon Afro Collective (YAC). In August 2022, Sekai participated in a month long residency at Cove Park, which was funded through the Bridge Awards Emerging Artists grant and awarded via Cove Park’s 2022/23 Funded Residencies open call.
Recent projects include:
In January 2022, Sekai showcased her RSA Morton Award outcomes at Research: RSA Awards in Focus alongside John Brown and Hannah Paterson at the National Galleries in Edinburgh. In October 2021, she exhibited her Invocation series at the 1:54 African Art Fair with Sakhile & Me Gallery. Sekai also exhibited at the Edinburgh Arts Festival 2021 with Alberta Whittle’s RESET, a group show at Jupiter Artland and a solo, Projects 20 at Stills Gallery where her new film work The Divine Sky had its debut. In the summer of 2021, Body of Land: Ritual Manifestations had its public debut at Street Level Photoworks as part of a two person solo exhibition with Kenyan artist Awuor Onyango. This project was facilitated by Focas Scotland and supported by the British Council East Africa and Scotland programmes. These Stories with artist Thulani Rachia, curated by Katherine Ka Yi Liu, at The House for an Art Lover’s Heritage Centre building at Studio Pavilion. Both exhibitions were part of the Glasgow International Festival 2021’s Across the City Programme.
Current and Upcoming projects:
Exhibition with Talbot Rice, March 2024
Exhibiting Artist at the 60th Venice Biennale, Zimbabwe Pavilion, April 2024
Exhibition and new film Svikiro at Mount Stuart Estate, Isle of Bute. Opening on the 2nd of September 2023.
sacred x mundane x profane with Sakhile & Me Gallery Frankfurt Germany. 29 Jun – 12 Aug 2023
Talbot Rice Residents provides time and support for early-career artists based in Scotland within the unique context of Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh.
The Talbot Rice Residents programme is part of the Freelands Artist Programme. The Freelands Artist Programme is a five-year programme that supports emerging artists across the UK in partnership with g39, Cardiff,PS², Belfast, Site Gallery, Sheffield and Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh. Further information on this programme is available here.
Image: Sekai Machache, Deep Divine Sky 1, 2021, photograph, courtesy of the artist.
