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…
Zimbabwean female artists tell stories through sculpting
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…
Avac Arts nominated for the LUXlife Global Excellence Awards 2022
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…
Name your price feature back again!
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…
Dominic Benhura Day
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…
Art centres play pivotal role in nurturing talent
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…
Stone sculptor enthusiast puts nation on the map
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…
Alms to Word on Fire and Zimbabwe
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 2022 Brunel International African Poetry award
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…
Stone sculptors chisel away behind the scenes
By Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent Sharp clicks can be heard from a distance, the sound of hammers and chisels as they cut into the stone yielding to the creator’s vision. On another work station, a grinder raves as the masters perfect their different stone works, all synchronising to produce a melody that would easily top…
2022 Victoria Falls Carnivals to be held at the Elephant Hills Resort
The Victoria Falls Carnival announced the Elephant Hills Resort as this year’s venue moving away from the traditional Victoria Falls Primary school that has hosted the carnival since inception. The Elephant Hotel is situated just 4 kilometers from the mighty Victoria Falls. The main stage will be set up on the driving range of the…
Mapopoma festival to light up Victoria Falls
VICTORIA Falls will be a hive of activity this Easter weekend as more than 3 000 people throng the city for the annual Mapopoma Festival. The festival will be a major boost to the tourism industry eager for recovery after the COVID-19. Two previous editions were cancelled because of the lockdowns put in place to…
Barack Obama and family visits Zimbabwe
The Former United States president Barack Obama is in Zimbabwe where he has had a tour in Mutarazi, Manicaland. This has been confirmed by the United States based Moreblessing Bore who facilitated his visit to Zimbabwe. Speaking to Manica Post, Moreblessing said Barack Obama would first have a tour in Mutarazi with his wife and…
Lifeline for Chitungwiza Arts Centre
BY MOSES MUGUGUNYEKI The Covid-19 pandemic has caused devastating effects on all sectors of the economy and one such is the cultural and creative industry. Since the cultural and creative sector relies mostly on the movement and availability of people, Covid-19 restrictions narrowed business in the sector leading to several jobs being furloughed. In Zimbabwe,…
Benhura’s Inspiring Journey To Stardom
Renowned sculptor Dominic Benhura shrugged off the melancholy of losing a father before he was born to become one of the country’s best artists. He has been in the game for almost four decades now and has seen it all, producing scintillating sculptures and touring the world with his works. Benhura says his life was…
Roki Kicks Off 2022 With Chidzoka Acoustics; video shot at a stone sculpture gallery
URBAN Grooves sensation, Roki has kicked off the new year with an acoustic version of his yesteryear chart topping track, Chidzoka. Chidzoka acoustics music video premiered on Tuesday last week and the sterling visuals have garnered over 100 000 YouTube views a day after release. The acoustics come after he dropped the banger’s remix two weeks…
Chango Chitoko challenges inequalities in communities through Visual Art
…WOMEN AND MEN SHOULD BE TREATED EQUALLY. CHANGO CHITOKO is a mother of three children, two in high school and her first-born waiting to go into College. Chango who grew up in rural Murehwa took inspiration from friends and her grand father who mentored her on wood carving cooking sticks and mortar and pestles. Years…
Black Friday – Cyber Monday Year End Sale!!!
Save 50% off everything as we mark the end of 2021 and the end of the “Name your Price” feature that we introduced at the beginning of the year. This offer runs until the 1st of December 2021. Please visit our online gallery and don’t be left out!
Chikukwa challenges banks
By Zivisai Chagaka TOP Zimbabwean arts curator Raphael Chikukwa has challenged local financial institutions and other corporates to support the arts sector and reap the sure benefits of art collection. Chikukwa, who is also the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) executive director, is hosting an online talk series under the FNB Art Joburg Talk Series,…
Chidawu carves to preserve wildlife
BY TENDAI SAUTA YOUTHFUL visual artist Abishebah Chidawu says he seeks to bring to the world’s attention the importance of protecting wild animals against cruelty. Chidawu said animals were becoming scarce because of human predators and migration hence they needed safeguarding. “Wild animals are becoming scarce and through my art, I wish to tell the…