‘Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. A high-quality art and design education should engage, inspire and challenge pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As pupils progress, they should be able to think critically…
By Sharon Sibindi This year’s edition of the Bulawayo Day and Bulawayo Arts Festival (BAF) will mainly focus on promoting township tourism, organisers have said. The event, which is aimed at promoting arts, culture and heritage by providing incubation, support and promotion of creative industries, will run from June 1 to 5 under the theme Our…
By Mpumelelo Moyo and Winstone Antonio THE European Union (EU) joined Zimbabwe in celebrating Culture Month at a culinary exchange event held at Amagugu International Cultural Centre at Nathisa in Matobo, Matabeleland South province, on Monday. The EU has donated US$63 000 to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) for the commemorations running under…
ONCE upon a time, there was the usual prelude used by folk storytellers to gain maximum attention from their audience, mainly children. For Shona-speaking storytellers they would expect the attentive audience to immediately respond by saying: “Dzepfunde (we are listening)”, which would encourage the storyteller to proceed. Among the many old Shona tales that children…
By Percy Zvomuya Joseph Ndandarika, who was once described as one of the three greatest living stone sculptors. (Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe) In the act of remembering the Zimbabwean sculptor Lazarus Takawira, who died of Covid-related complications on 12 January, it is impossible not to talk about Frank McEwen, the founding director of…
By Kundai Marunya – Herald Arts Correspondent Renowned online gallery Avac Arts has moved to expand their operations, thus opening their first physical gallery space at Victoria Falls Airport. This is in line with the organisation’s 2023 vision to increase their visibility and foster development in the sector. The space, set up towards the end…
Had fun last week at the Transform Africa Summit 2023 held in VIctoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Congradulations to all the 7 Ms Geeks who got prices. Zimbawe surely was represented amongst the winners. Well done to all of the participants and to those who won. The future of African development in this technology era lies in…
THE Germany embassy in Harare in partnership with the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last week unveiled the German Buddy Bear to showcase the Ndebele culture globally. The Buddy Bear, also known as “Utshomi” (a Ndebele native name for “Buddy”) a project done by Portia Ndlovu, Khumbulani Ncube, Khathazile Mlala and Lackina Zulu…
One of Zimbabwe’s finest artists who belonged to the famous First Generation sculptors, Sylvester Mubayi died on the 13th of December 2022. Confirming the death, National Gallery of Zimbabwe Director Raphael Chikukwa, who also worked with the sculptor as Curator at the Venice Biennale in 2017, expressed shock at the death of the artist. “It…
INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND AVAC Arts is an arts sector focused community development initiative (social enterprise) that was founded by Terrence Tawanda Musiyiwa during the year 2002. The entity was eventually registered in 2003. AVAC Arts was a necessity created after realising the opportunities and challenges faced by Chitungwiza stone sculptors. Our operations are aligned to…
Black Friday – Cyber Monday Year End Sale is back again. This time we are offering a 30% discount on the listed price which includes the cost of packing and freight. Hurry whilst the promotion lasts and add some beautiful and authentic Zimbabwean art to your collection. Please visit our online store to see what…
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that senior artist Edward Chiwawa passed away last night. There are only a handful of sculptors left in Zimbabwe who are part of that first group to achieve international recognition, the so-called ‘first generation’ of Shona sculptors. That select group has lost one of its…
Firmly grasping a hammer and chisel, Simelokuhle Zibengwa, a stone sculptor, effortlessly pounded on a small chunk of rock. White-ish fragments fell off as she carefully hammered through the stone. After a while, and with a great deal of effort, a figure of a rabbit could be seen taking shape. Zibengwa’s works of art are not…
Shortlisting has recently begun for the sixth annual Global Excellence Awards, proudly hosted by LUXlife magazine, and we are delighted to be informed that Avac Arts has been identified as a nominee this year. The Global Excellence Awards 2022 are dedicated to recognising the best products, services, and brands across the world who are leading the luxury elite in…
Due to popular demand we have reintroduced the “Name Your Price” special feature for all artworks being sold online. It is a very simple and easy to use function that allows negotiation between the buyers and artists with regards to the artwork buying price. As a potential client, if you find any artwork(s) of interest…
By Paidashe Mandivengerei UNITED STATES city of Carmel, Indiana proclaimed May 14 as Dominic Benhura day after the internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean sculptor. The proclamation is in honour of the value that Benhura’s art has added to the city’s economic development and diversity. This came after Carmel commissioned Benhura’s sculpture ‘Swing Me Higher, Mama’ made from…
By Kundai Marunya (Arts Correspondent) The process of transferring one’s imagination into something visual and tangible is often challenging that only a few very creative individuals dare to take it on. It takes years of practice, learning from the masters and formulating one’s own distinct style before they finally earn the right to showcase their…
By Robert Mukondiwa Victoria Falls-based arts connoisseur and founder and director of Zimbabwe’s leading online sculpture gallery Avac Arts, Terrence Musiyiwa, has scored another first and put the nation on the map as he emphasises the need for both vocational skills and educational prowess. He recently shone after Avac Arts was featured as a leading…
Dear Brandon Vogt and Bishop Barron, Thank you Brandon and Bishop, if I may be informal, and your colleagues and staff, for bringing me closer to Christ and Catholicism through Word on Fire. Also, the Bible is accessible to me for the first time through the Word on Fire Gospels with its commentary and…
Zimbabwean poet and filmmaker Zibusiso Mpofu has won the title of Brunel International African Poetry 2022 Award. Mpofu was announced as the winner among finalists which included Conor Kogil from South Africa, Asmaa Jama and Edil Hassan from Somalia, Fahad Al-Amoudi from Ethiopia and Adedayo Agarau and Chisom Okafor from Nigeria. The award goes to…