In praise of African art: How Shona sculpting emerged

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…

Legends of sculpture still standing

By Timothy Akuda The internationally recognised sculpture movement has to date lost 90 percent of its founding members. The movement which was started in the 1960s still stands strong and shows no signs of dying. To date we have lost crucial members like Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Matemera, Crispen Chakanyuka, Claud Nyanhongo, Fanizani Akuda, Albert Nathan…

Tom Blomefield was a crook: Sylvester Mubayi

Sylvester Mubayi is one of the remaining First Generation of Zimbabwe Shona Stone Sculptors still living. We caught up with him at his studio in Chitungwiza where he shared with us his art journey which began as a serendipitous encounter with the maverick art promoter Tom Bloomfield in the streets of the former Salisbury (Harare).…