MEET THIS INSPIRING AWARD WINNING GRAPHIC DESIGNER !
Meet Taurai Valerie Mtake, she is a Zimbabwean bred graphic
designer who started practising her passion for art and creativity at the age
of three years old. Taurai attended both primary and secondary education at
the Institution of Dominican Convent High School, to further on practise her passion she attended
Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital Arts where she completed a 2-year Graphic Design and
New Media Diploma programme. In 2012 Miss Mtake graduated as not only youngest,
she was also classed as the second-best student overall in the class. It was during the duration of
her time at Zimbabwe Institute of Vigital arts that one of her designs were selected
for the SOUL Trust Poster design competition. She also had book cover design
selected for the Simudza Zimbabwe Competition!
Taurai went on to furthered her education in South Africa
at Greenside Design Centre in Johannesburg where she acquired her Bachelor of
Arts Degree in Graphic Design in 2016, and a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in
Visual Communication Design, specialising in Graphic Design 2017.
In 2015, with her continuous hard work one of her poster
designs was yet again selected amongst the top 100 best posters in the France Poster for Tomorrow
“Right to Healthcare”. This lead to Taurai being awarded membership to
the International Society of Type Designers for her project titled, “The life’s
work of Adrian Frutiger” in 2016.
‘Reviving the Bantu Symbol Writing into Contemporary
Visual Culture’ is another one of Taurai’s projects that was awarded a Gold
Loerie Award, August 2017 in Durban South Africa, a Gold Pendoring and Overall
Best Student Award (Grand Prix Pendoring Award) in October 2017, Midrand,
South Africa where she was the only student entry to take gold and was the
overall winner of the student category. She was also a Finalist in the Intombie
Young Women In Business Awards in October 2017.
- Yeah I know, she’s pretty impressive so far, continue
reading to be even more astonished…
Taurai says her main interests and passion are in type
design and Afrikan visual culture in the contemporary space. She also has an
interest in how real cultural practises have converted a staged authenticity. Due
to her long-lasting passion for Afrika, in
which the history and the meaning of the objects becomes often lost, sometimes
even to the producers themselves. It’s in this way that important indigenous systems
have simply become elements of decorative art or a curio for mass consumption.
She believes Afrikans ought to question this shift we cannot stand to lose this
indigenous system if we are to move forward into a self-assured and sustainable
future.
In February 2018 she co-founded Nhaka Creative Agency,
which aims to fill the gap in the market of producing educational and
entertainment material. This material is not only innovative but authentic and
significant to Afrikans, their identity and cultural heritage.
To get in contact with Tauari, either email us on zexclusivetvv@gmail.com or find her
on Instagram under @Tavatake19
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