African Odyssey

While stone has been sculpted in Zimbabwe for a thousand years, its modern incarnation is a recent phenomenon. This landmark exhibition offers a glimpse of how this African art movement has developed from its roots some 50 years ago, to become one of the world’s most exciting genres of sculptural expression.

The impetus for the post-Second World War burst of creativity came from Frank McEwen, the British art expert who was appointed Director of the country’s National Gallery. His private collection, held by the British Museum, is the inspiration for this retrospective.

Alongside older pieces from the McEwen era and pieces from private collections of the sculptors themselves, the exhibition traces the influences and development of Zimbabwean sculpting through to the present day. Among the major living sculptors whose work is shown are Lazarus Takawira, Dominic Benhura, Locardia Ndandarika, and Maud Mariga.