Stepping Into Identity: Miriro Mwandiambira’s She Remembered Who She Was
Miriro Mwandiambira’s latest exhibition at First Floor Gallery is a bold and introspective exploration of femininity, identity, and societal expectations. Titled She Remembered Who She Was, the exhibition presents a striking visual landscape dominated by high heels and stilettos, evoking the atmosphere of a luxury shoe boutique. However, beyond the glossy fashion imagery lies a deeper narrative about self-perception, empowerment, and the psychological burdens women carry.
Known for her multidisciplinary approach and thought-provoking performance art, Mwandiambira continues her tradition of making bold statements that reveal vulnerability. Her collage and acrylic on canvas works focus on the lower half of the female body—legs and feet in various postures—turning them into autonomous protagonists. The severed limbs, detached from the torso, take on an almost surreal quality, echoing the stylistic choices of Zimbabwean artists Wycliffe Mundopa and Misheck Masamvu. The fragmented figures become symbols of both constraint and liberation, highlighting the complex relationship women have with fashion and self-expression.
A recurring motif in the exhibition is the zebra stripe pattern, a deliberate nod to the zebra totem in Zimbabwean culture. Those of the zebra clan, VanaSamaita, often describe themselves as manjenjenje ganda revasikana in their praise poetry—possessors of grace and beauty. By incorporating these black-and-white patterns on body parts and backgrounds, Mwandiambira links tradition with contemporary discourse on femininity and identity. The juxtaposition of enlarged flowers alongside these fragmented figures further enhances the dialogue, recalling the work of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe, who famously challenged perceptions of her floral paintings, rejecting claims that they were merely erotic.
The journey of this body of work began with a focus solely on shoes, but as Mwandiambira worked, she felt compelled to explore the body that inhabits them. The female form, particularly legs and feet, became central to her exploration of the ways in which women are shaped by societal pressures. The exhibition subtly critiques the paradox of high heels: celebrated as symbols of power, confidence, and beauty, yet also instruments of discomfort, pain, and submission. While many women endure the discomfort of heels for fashion and status, some opt to carry an extra pair of comfortable shoes, switching just before arriving at their destination. Chiropractors have long warned of the long-term damage high heels can cause, yet for many women, wearing them remains non-negotiable—an unspoken requirement of elegance and professionalism.
Mwandiambira’s work also engages with deeper cultural and societal issues. In Zimbabwe, rigid patriarchal norms continue to police women’s clothing choices, using distorted religious and traditional beliefs to impose control. Women who step outside these prescribed boundaries often face criticism or even danger. In defiance of these constraints, some women reclaim their agency by dressing provocatively, using fashion as a means of resistance. The languid, subtly erotic postures in Mwandiambira’s work might provoke conservative sensibilities, yet they are not deliberately confrontational. Instead, they express a quiet defiance, a personal reclamation of the female body as a site of power rather than subjugation.
At its core, She Remembered Who She Was is about rediscovery. The title suggests an awakening, a breaking free from imposed identities to embrace one’s true self. This extends beyond mere comfort with sexuality—it is about embracing quirks, oddities, and personal idiosyncrasies without apology. The exhibition aligns with third-wave feminism, which asserts women’s right to define their own relationship with their bodies, fashion, and self-expression without succumbing to objectification.
For male viewers, the experience of walking through the exhibition might feel like stepping into a world they were never meant to inhabit—like entering the women’s section of a department store. And perhaps that is intentional. Some layers of meaning may remain elusive to them, just as the lived experiences of women cannot be fully understood by those who have never walked in their shoes. Mwandiambira’s work does not attempt to bridge that gap; rather, it acknowledges it. While the exhibition invites all audiences into its visual world, it also reserves a space for women alone—a space where they can see themselves, remember who they are, and reclaim what was always theirs.
