The new Zimbabwean Curriculum to make art compulsory in Primary and Secondary Schools

They say everyone is born an artist, this can be seen when we learn to shape letters, draw and mold objects out of clay. That art is then lost as one goes into the education system as most institutions didn’t have art classes to cultivate the passion for art at grassroots levels. That is all…

National Gallery commemorates 60th anniversary

NATIONAL Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) on Friday last week launched The Perfect Coffee Table Book to mark the institution’s 60th anniversary. The book was meant to shed light on artworks by Zimbabwean artists and to serve as a source of key pointers on artistic careers and practices. NGZ conservation and collections manager, Lillian Chaonwa, said…

Between Detroit And Zimbabwe: Reflections On Cultural Exchange

“Travel abroad opportunities offer students ‘the bigger picture’; they instill global consciousness,” said Chido Johnson, Fine Arts professor and section chair of Sculpture at the College for Creative Studies. “This is something that can’t be learned sitting inside a classroom; it must be experienced.” In summer 2016, nine students from CCS travelled to Africa to…

60 years of promoting visual art

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe has hosted about 1 000 exhibitions since its inauguration in July 1957. The first ever exhibition showcased at the Gallery was an enormous undertaking, involving the loan of many art objects from around the world, with most of the work coming from some of the world’s most prestigious galleries and…

Dominic Benhura Honours President Kaunda With Sculpture

Renowned sculptor Dominic Benhura recently presented former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda with a stone sculpture in honour of his 93rd birthday. The founding father of the Republic of Zambia turned 93 on April 28 and was given the sculpture of a hand holding a white handkerchief, his trademark symbol for peace. Benhura combined black spring-stone…

Gallery Delta to host young artists’ exhibition

HARARE – Gallery Delta will host an exhibition of paintings, graphics and three-dimensional object sculptures by young and promising artists on Wednesday. The exhibition dubbed — Link III: Different Viewpoints Exhibition — will showcase works by Epheas Maposa, Kresiah Mkwazhi, Option Nyahunzvi, Evans Tinashe and Johnson Zuze whose masterpiece “The Dog and the Bone” landed…

Gallery to host ‘Zimbabwe in Design’ exhibition

At the Gallery The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is set to host the Zimbabwe -In design exhibition for the fourth time in a row. The exhibition which will officially open on the fourth of May focuses on six types of local design that are fashion, hair, architecture, material culture, graphic design (which includes vexillology) and…

Gallery sponsorship critical link to trade

The importance of businesses supporting the arts is not a frivolous pursuit. The arts play an important role and, when they thrive, it benefits not just the practitioners but also the country as a whole. In this economically driven world, the arts require adequate funding in order to thrive.

National Gallery of Zimbabwe marks 60 years of art

At the Gallery Officially opened in July 1957 the National Gallery of Zimbabwe quickly became a force to be reckoned with as it was renowned for being the best Gallery building in the world. The opening was broadcast by the BBC and a total of 181 press reports on the Gallery appeared in local and…

Sculpting icon Sylvester Mubayi set for Venice Biennale

FOR people passing by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Harare, it is almost difficult to miss the intriguing sculptures erected outside this iconic arts space. These stone pieces are part of the gallery’s permanent collection and some of them have been there for decades.

Zimbabwean Sculptor Carving His Way Into Asian Market

In the past, art was associated with “the poor” with most parents discouraging their children from the discipline. Some artists would nurture their talent and develop it without even advancing their education. However, things seem to be taking a different dimension as the world now appreciates more than just natural talent.

A Quick History of Zimbabwean Shona Sculpture

By Robert Mukondiwa Curator (Zim Art) African stone sculpture from Zimbabwe is often called Shona sculpture, named after the largest tribe engaged in sculpting. Zimbabwe – derived from the Shona word dzimbadzamabwe which means ‘house of stone’ – is the only country on the African continent that has large deposits of stone suitable for sculpting.