Stone Sculptures in Zimbabwe - Shona sculptors
In 1991, Celia Winter-Irving published a book on Stone Sculpture in Zimbabwe. It was published by Roblaw Publishers in Harare Zimbabwe - According to Wikipedia, Celia was born in 1941 and died in 2009. She was an Australian-born, Zimbabwean-based artist and art critic who wrote extensively on Zimbabwean art, especially Shona sculpture, when she lived in Harare from 1987 to 2008.
A very short Introduction is given below, taken from her book which enables a fantastic view into the stone sculptures of Zimbabwe: Celia Winter-Irving (Author of Contemporary Stone Sculpture in Zimbabwe) (goodreads.com)
Stone sculpturing in Zimbabwe has been apparent since 1956. It has no overt historical roots in Zimbabwe. It is also not derived from any recognisable indigenous tradition of object making. The art was already presented in public at art musems as early as 1971.
Musée Rodin in Paris - 1971
Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris in 1972
The art is essentially Afrcian.
The sculpture is the collective expression of the historic beliefs of the societies represented by the artists in a spiritual rationale or explanation for the workings of the real or natural world. Largely, its subject matter is expressive of the general African belief, again with societally and cuturally determined differences, that African man is part of a larger plan than that devised for Westen man. It links the living and the dead, the visible and invisible universe, and the mortal and spiritual realm.
Sam Kuve (Samson Kuvhenguwa) was never really interested in fame. He did not like to take part in exhibitions. For this reason very little is known about him. He considered his art always to be special and one of a kind. His work is exceptional. He is definitly an outstanding sculptor. His work definitly followed all that Celia wrote about. The works expressed the historic beliefs of the society which he represented. They followed a spiritual rationale and explained the workings of the real world and the natural world. (quoted from the book Stone Sculptures of ZImbabwe - Celia Winter-Irving)
Sam definitly encorporates the spirit of Zimbabwean sculptures and shows his beliefs in the real or natural world. His works definitly link the living and the dead, the visible and the invisible universe, and the mortal and spiritual realm. It definitly shows that the African man is part of a larger plan as Celia Winter-Irving wrote in her book Stone Sculptures in Zimbabwe. HIs Shona sculptures reach a very high level of quality.
There are many other excellent sculptors in Zimbabwe and they are very well catered for on various excellent websites dealing with Shona Sculpture. They are worth visiting as you will be introduced other sculptors and be able to read even more about the history of Shona Sculpture - here a few links: