Tamzin Mpundu | Black History Month Artist Spotlight - Exhibition in Maidstone, Maidstone

About

Creative Maidstone is proud to present a spotlight exhibition in celebration of Black History Month. We have chosen to showcase Tamzin Mpundu: a local black artist.

Tamzin is an artist who smashes cultural barriers through deeply emotional and colourful portraiture paintings that explore what it means to be growing up Black in the UK and navigating complex identity issues. Her work draws inspiration from powerful cultural and personal narratives, including Afro-futurism, Black politics, love, African traditions and spirituality, and the symbolic power of tribal masks. It shares the ongoing questions and self-doubt that come with navigating Western society, offering a raw lens on the pressures on women and the balance of growth and womanhood. This period marks the first time Tamzin has shared her work publicly since leaving university, reflecting a journey of finding her way back to creativity and balancing trauma and art.

The artist’s work serves as a visceral journal to process and share experiences of growing up. Tamzin primarily seeks to reach those who are interested in connecting to their own deep thoughts and facing personal traumas. She invites viewers to engage in self-reflection and step back, using their senses to process the world around them. Her work challenges ignorance by embracing discomfort, prompting an understanding of the personal feelings behind bigger societal issues.

She uses a diverse mix of materials—from wet mediums like gouache, oil paints, and acrylic for their vibrant, fluid colour, to dry mediums such as charcoal, pastels, and markers for their raw, expressive line and emotional energy. The varied application of these materials—like the layered, intense colours of the paint and the scratchy, immediate mark-making of charcoal—mirrors the complexity and intensity of her themes: the layers of identity, the vibrancy of culture, and the strong emotions present in our lived experiences. This blend allows her to be both planned and completely spontaneous, reflecting life itself.

Email: madebytamz@gmail.com Website: www.behance.net/tamzinforrest Instagram: @MadeByTamz