AVAC Arts is marketing and working with four of Chitungwiza Arts Centre (CAC) resident female artists who have broken new ground, venturing into the male dominated stone sculpture industry. Tracy Chatsama, Diana Nyakudya, Rachel Ellon and Agnes Mupariwa are not only stone sculptors but also the best and most promising names in the industry as indicated with the reputation they have earned during the years.
To begin with, Diana In 2004 got the most promising female artist award in The African Millennium Exhibition, under the theme In Praise of Women. In 2006 she got the first prize in the female category in an exhibition organized by CAC. In 2007 Diana also got the Special Mention Award in Gabriel Suskin Prize for the Shona Sculpture held in New York, and applied for a grant from the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust in the same year. Diana also was one of the 2007 grantees in the Fine Arts and Crafts category. Her project is yielding positive results.
On the other hand Tracy Chatsama has achieved a lot of success to be reckoned when it comes to the field of Zimbabwe Shona Stone sculptures. She has many accolades in her name such as 1st price Female Catigory at CAC in 2007; the Consolation price by the National Arts Gallery of Zimbabwe; in 2006 she won 1st price on Creativity and Originality at CAC on the New Millennium Exhibition. Her creativity and exceptional talent can never be ignored hence the Zimbabwe Broadcasting television ZBC interviewed her at a workshop hosted by the House by the See at the CAC.
Agnes Mupariwa was nominated for the Young Sculptor Awards finalists of 2006 Hosted by the African Millennium. She is also one of the Zimbabwean artists to market their works on the Alibaba directory.
AVAC Arts boasts of Rachel Ellon as one of the first artists they marketed and customers have shown keen interests on some of her Stone sculpture works since the beginning. She went on to receive her first award in her career as National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s Young Woman Artist of the Year 2005. She also won the CAC Merit Award in 2006 and came third in 2007.
These Female artists are among the very few who have broken those patriarchal job distinctions and proved that woman are equals to men and can do anything that men can.
AVAC Arts
