History:

One of the most extraordinary art forms to emerge on the international stage towards the end of the twentieth century was Zimbabwean sculpture, often termed Shona sculpture as most of its proponents hail from the Shona tribe of Zimbabwe.

Though stone sculpting has been a part of Zimbabwean tradition for centuries - the Great Zimbabwe, an archaeological masterpiece dating back to 1200 AD is the first evidence of the nation’s stone carvers – it was not until the 1960s that the technique re-emerged on a grand scale.

The catalyst was Frank McEwan, who became Director of (then) Rhodesia’s National Art Gallery. He encouraged local artists to move away from the tourist-targeted souvenirs they were creating and provided them with the tools and materials to create true works of art.

There was a ready supply of various types of stone from the Great Dyke, a 310 mile-long ridge, two and a half million years old which runs almost the length of Zimbabwe.

Favoured stones are springstone and green opal as well as serpentine and verdite.

Steeped in the beliefs and traditions of ancient Shona culture, it soon became clear that Zimbabwe’s artists had a spiritual connection with the rock on which they worked, and – without the aid of sketches or plans – shapes emerged which were all-encompassing.

Essentially, many Zimbabwean sculptors believe they are ‘freeing’ a shape from within the stone itself. Their technique may be superb, but this is no cold-blooded, commercial process. Rather it is the artist’s passionate embrace of his spirituality and his heritage. Each piece may take months to carve, emerging from the rough-hewn rock like a butterfly from a chrysalis. When the sculpting is finished the piece is heated to bring out the unique qualities and colours of the stone and then lovingly waxed and burnished till it glows.

The appeal of Zimbabwean sculpture transcends all cultures and races. Art lovers the world over have recognized that this unique art form is not only aesthetically pleasing, but that it also represents a form of self expression which dates back to the dawn of time.