In June, I had the well looked forward to and very slowly deserved chance to shoot Scott in his home. Firstly because, as he is a photographer himself, he does not often feature in front of the camera. And secondly because to Scott, his room is a part of himself that he seldom shows, and a safe space that he protects well.
"Just like back in the days when people used to gather stuff you know. I just get stuff that I like, or anything random that I feel like it just sits well in this room.
So, my room is a little cave, yeah.
It's basically shaped like a matchbox, or maybe a lunchbox. But it has the right amount of space - there's not enough space but it's the right. It's enough for me to relax."
When Scott does something he does it 100%, and he does not take a maybe or an I don't know as an answer. Maybe that's also why his own photographic work feels so sharp and unapologetic. " Analoge photography? It's fucking obvious, but I love it. I shoot film because I love the tones, I love how challenging it is. Each time - metering, lighting, exposure - setting up the whole picture. And then the whole process of developing. I want to be the one who is handling everything - without having to rely on others or on the computer."
"It's not the cleanest of rooms. But I would love that if someone comes to look at this place, the scruffiness is what brings the whole mood to it. That's the feel that I like. I do clean but it's more comfortable if it's messy like this."
Underneath and in between the mess there are neatly folded t-shirts, sorted papers for work and uni and well protected camera gear. Everything has its place, and tea is always prepared when you visit.
"I don't mean to be that guy but I'm just gonna brag now. I've got the Mamiya 645 1000 S, the three lenses and viewfinders, the Olympus OM2 with all the lenses I need. The Canon AI1 - cause why would you not have a Canon AI1? That is just all that I need."
During the spring of 2023, me and Scott imported chemicals to Zimbabwe and developed rolls of film in an improvised dark room setting in my house. "It's a good-as feeling, the dopamine level that I get from developing is fucking crazy. You know how I feel."
(Cozy) Scott Mutasa is a photographer from Bulawayo based in Harare. He has had 2 solo shows in Zimbabwe (I'm with Cozy), been featured by Kodak and is Gemma Griffiths trusted photographer. He shoots both digital and film and does beaming experimental video work, he is also part of the creative collective NWOTH. His distinct eye captures the effort, playfulness, and radicality of the street culture and youth scene in the two cities.