Better As Friends

Size:35 x 44 in.

Charmaine Chanakira’s original painting Better as Friends (30" x 40") is a bold and expressive explosion of colour, movement, and layered symbolism. The composition is a vibrant interplay of abstract forms, graffiti-style lettering, and striking figurative elements, blending storytelling with visual dynamism. The dominant face-like figure, with its exaggerated features and neon hues, emerges from a sea of fragmented marks, shapes, and cryptic messages, inviting viewers to decode the hidden narratives woven into the canvas.

Chanakira’s distinctive artistic voice draws from primitivism, street art, and contemporary abstraction, employing a combination of acrylic paint, oil pastels, and pen to create works that pulse with energy. Her approach embraces rawness and spontaneity, reflecting her personal experiences and broader cultural themes, from identity to social justice. She describes her work as a form of visual storytelling, using hidden codes and symbolic elements to engage viewers on multiple levels.

Originally from Zimbabwe and now based in London, Chanakira uses art as a means of self-expression and introspection. While she describes herself as an introvert, her work speaks loudly—bold, unfiltered, and emotionally charged. She paints, she says, ‘big and bright’ to communicate the complexities of human emotion, inviting her audience to explore both the chaos and beauty within.