Zimbabwean Artist Colleen Madamombe (1964-2009) Shona Stone Sculpture

Colleen Madamombe Shonas Stone Sculpture, 6”tall

About the artist: "While some of her early work was inspired by observation of ants, bees, butterflies and caterpillars, Colleen became best known for her depiction of women and their Shona culture. She illustrated many themes of womanhood: women at work, harvesting, carrying water or children and giving birth.[3] Her female figures quickly became a symbol of womanhood in Zimbabwe and were adopted by the Zimbabwean International Film Festival as the trophy award for all winning women entrants. She won the award “Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe” three times.[4]

Colleen worked predominantly in Springstone (a local type of hard serpentine rock much used by Zimbabwean sculptors), but also used Opal stone (a softer variety of serpentine), for example for her major work “The Birth”, now part of the Chapungu permanent collection. She used both rough and polished stone in her sculpture, often leaving parts of the surface of the stone in its raw oxidized form to provide color for hair or clothes, while creating expressive faces, arms and hands in the fully polished black stone. Skirts would sometimes be chiseled to a rough grey surface, while other clothing such as a blouse was stippled to a finer texture. The overall effect and subject-matter was instantly recognizable."

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Jessica Benjestorf | (970) 821-5035 | fairlightestatesales@gmail.com

Pickup Details

Private Residence

Aurora, CO 80016

When to Pickup

Friday, 10/2, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

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