Martin Abasi Phiri (马丁): (Re)Mapping Africa-Asia Artistic Connections Through Research and Practice

Paper Abstract: Martin Abasi Phiri (1957-1977), also known as MAP and 马丁, is a late Zambian artist who studied at the Sculpture Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing from 1983 to 1988. Between his return from China in 1988 and his mournful decrease in 1997, Martin made a monumental contribution to the Zambian art scene as an artist, an educator and the founder of the Zambian National Visual Arts Council. Drawing on interviews, archival materials, and visual analysis, this paper examines the life and works of Martin Abasi Phiri, elucidating the connections between his artistic practice in Zambia and his studies at the CAFA in Beijing through a selection of his artwork and his teaching approach. This paper also engages in a methodological reflection by reviewing the pathways to and of Martin Phiri, culminating in a retrospective exhibition of his work and archive. Through this process, the research and curatorial practices (re)map and reactivate the Africa-Asia artistic network with (the artist’s) absence as a generative space.