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This reading list is intended to provide a valuable reference point for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of the respected sculpture movement from Zimbabwe known colloquially as ‘Shona Sculpture’. Initially, this bibliography will list those books we feel provide the most information. Further additions, such as exhibition catalogues, may be more limited in scope whilst still being important historical sources. Happy reading!
Shona Sculpture: a Bibliography
Our recommended reading on Shona Sculpture!
Arnold, M. (1981) Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture
Bulawayo: Books of Zimbabwe. 230pp ISBN 0-86920-219-7 (Hardback)
The earliest substantive work on the topic, this book was originally a dissertation for an MA in History of Art. Marion Arnold was herself an artist, studying in London and South Africa. From 1975 to 1978, Arnold was the art critic for The Herald, Zimbabwe’s main newspaper.
Arnold’s book is much-respected in its approach: she explores iconography in an art movement that has no direct continuous connection from the soapstone birds of the Great Zimbabwe complex to the contemporary sculpture scene. Arnold conducted her research during the War of Independence in late-1970s Rhodesia. This book was published in 1981, a year after Zimbabwe achieved independence. Significantly, 1981 was also the year when South Africa returned a number of the soapstone birds from Great Zimbabwe. Unsurprisingly, this heralded a spike in interest in Zimbabwe’s cultural history.
Arnold interprets Shona sculpture as distinctly African, with the artists drawing inspiration from Shona society, folklore and religion. She explores the form of the works, which at that time were predominantly figurative and either human or animal or some blending of the two. She also considers the concepts behind the works and themes expressed therein, and attempts to tie them to historical cultural references.
For anyone wondering where the modern Shona Sculpture movement sprang from in the twentieth century, this expertly-written book provides an intriguing exploration of cultural and social influences. The pages are peppered with fascinating photographs of early sculptures by influential artists, including Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Joseph Ndandarika and Bernard Matemera.
Joosten, B. (2001) Lexicon: Sculptors from Zimbabwe – the First Generation
Dodewaard: Galerie de Strang. 400pp ISBN-10 90-806629-1-7 (Hardback)
This is the ‘reference bible’ for the art history of Shona sculpture.
Precursors to the development of the art movement (Cyrene Mission and Serima Mission) are briefly outlined, followed by more in-depth profiling of the pivotal roles played by Frank McEwen (Workshop School, National Gallery of Zimbabwe), Joram Mariga (Nyanga) and Tom Blomefield (Tengenenge). This is followed by a chronology of events in the development of art movement.
The majority of the book is a comprehensive list of artist biographies, arranged by the various focal points: Cyrene, Serima, Harare, Nyanga and Tengenenge. Whilst many of the individual artists have been lost to history, there are some wonderfully detailed artist listings, especially for some of the biggest names. Each artist has brief life history, and then a comprehensive list of their exhibitions, bibliography and collections featuring their works. In addition, the photos of youthful artists and their early and later works are fascinating and give the reader a real sense of progression in an individual artist’s style.
Ben Joosten interviewed the artists in person, and this magnificent work is testament to his devotion and dedication to the subject.
Kuhn, J. (1978) Myth and Magic: The Art of the Shona of Zimbabwe
Cape Town: Don Nelson. 112pp ISBN 0-909238-33-2 (Hardback)
Some reviewers have been rather snotty about this book, as it lacks the formal structure of most other works on the topic. Instead, it is written in flowing conversational style with frequent verbatim quotes taken from interviews with the artists. From the first page, we are dropped straight into another, alien culture. This is ethnography as art, or perhaps vice versa.
Joy Kuhn was a scriptwriter for the BBC and a fiction writer: rather than an art critic, gallery owner or collector, she is a teller of stories. However, so are the artists themselves! One by one, Joy met up with the artists and allowed them to speak freely about their lives and their beliefs. What emerges is a fascinating insight into another culture, and then the way in which each artist articulates aspects of cultural belief through their art. Full colour photos alongside this riveting text make for a book which is genuinely hard to put down.
You can probably tell from this review that this book is our personal favourite. What’s most rewarding is how the personalities of the individual artists coalesce, how the conversational nature of Kuhn’s writing brings the artists to life one by one. You really can hear each voice speaking to you. Since many of these artists are now long-dead, it can be a very moving read. Chapters include Sylvester Mubayi, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Joseph Ndandarika and Bernard Takawira.
This book is hard to find, but highly recommended.
All by Celia Winter-Irving – we recommend the one on the left
Winter-Irving, C. (1993) Contemporary Stone Sculpture in Zimbabwe: Context, Content and Form
Tortola, BVI: Craftsman House. 203pp ISBN 976-8097-37-X (Hardback)
Celia Winter-Irving is the foremost writer on Shona sculpture. She ran a gallery in Sydney, Australia, with her husband where they held exhibitions of Shona sculpture. In 1987, she moved to Zimbabwe and wrote prolifically on the arts until her death in 2009. This is her seminal work on the sculpture movement. Full colour plate photographs – of both the artists and examples of their work (including some now very well-known pieces such as Nicholas Mukomberanwa’s ‘The Corrupting Power of Money’) – bring the sculptures to life.
Winter-Irving’s respect for Zimbabwe’s contemporary sculpture as an art movement rings loud and clear in her writing. Coming from the art establishment, her view that Shona sculpture is analogous with the best of contemporary sculpture outside Africa is very significant. She rejects any suggestion of primitivism, focusing on its credibility as a serious sculpture movement.
She sets out the historical development of the Shona sculpture movement, and explores its distinct properties as an African art movement. She then delves more deeply into its cultural origins, in particular the spiritual element within the work. Chapters on the significant influence of Frank McEwen, Tom Blomefield and other mentors are followed by a section on the most significant artists. These include: Tapfuma Gutsa, Joram Mariga, Moses Masaya, Bernard Matemera, Richard Mteki, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Henry Munyaradzi, Joseph Ndandarika, Agnes Nyanhongo, Brighton Sango, Bernard Takawira and John Takawira.
Winter-Irving, C. (1991) Contemporary Stone Sculpture in Zimbabwe: Context, Content and Form
Harare: Roblaw. 210pp ISBN 0-908309-14-7 (Paperback)
An earlier version of the hardback book above; the text is largely identical. However, the photos are different – most noticeably in this book they are only in black and white, which is a shame, but also there are many works pictured here that do not appear in the later hardback version.
Perhaps, in the absence of glossy photos, the reader focuses more on the words. Immediately, it becomes evident how much time Winter-Irving invested in interviewing the individual artists. The snippets that she has selected brings their voices to life, but also reveal much about their approach to their art.
Winter-Irving, C. (2004) Pieces of Time
Gweru: Mambo Press. 218pp ISBN 0-86922-781-5 (Paperback)
An anthology of Winter-Irving’s articles on Zimbabwe’s stone sculpture, published in The Herald and Zimbabwe Mirror newspapers in 1999-2000. The first general section groups articles that deal with the sculpture movement as a whole. This is followed by articles featuring individual artists from the first, second and third generations. These include Henry Munyaradzi, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Matemera and Dominic Benhura. Each article is fairly brief and, whilst there is a logical grouping, there is no coherence to the text. There are very few images either. As a result, it’s a good book to skim through, or drop in and out of, but would be hard to read cover to cover.
Sultan, O. (1992) Life in Stone: Zimbabwean Sculpture – Birth of a Contemporary Art Form
Harare: Baobab Books. 86pp ISBN 0-908311-46-X (Paperback)
The introductory section outlines the development of the art movement, from its genesis with McEwen’s Workshop School, the influence of Joram Mariga and the Mission Schools, and its evolution in the contemporary post-Independence period (post 1980). There are some lovely photographs, sadly all in black and white, of early days at the Workshop School and Tengenenge. Then follows brief biographies of fifteen selected artists plus plenty of photos of examples of their work. Artists include: John Takawira, Bernard Takawira, Henry Munyaradzi, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Bernard Matemera, Joram Mariga, Brighton Sango, Sylvester Mubayi and Fanizani Akuda. An image-heavy book that elucidates the distinctive personal styles of the big name artists.
Mor, F. (1987) Shona Sculpture
Harare: Jongwe Press. 160pp ISBN 0-7974-0781-2 (Paperback)
Fernando Mor spent time in Harare as the Italian Ambassador during the early 1980s. During that early post-Independence period, Shona sculpture flourished and galleries proliferated. Mor became a collector and enthusiast. The text is concise; the book was intended as an introduction for those new to the art movement. It is delightfully image rich, with lots of colour photos of works by many big names. Thereby, a newcomer to the art history can quickly get a feel for the individual style that defines each artist. At the back is a useful list of articles written about Shona sculpture in the international press, as well as a chronology of major exhibitions.
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