"Dreaming" Sculpture by Sylvester Mubayi

VIEW ALL STONE SHONA SCULPTURE

Artist Bio:

Sylvester Mubayi

Mubayi was born in 1942 in the Chiota Reserve near Marondera. After leaving school Sylvester worked as a tobacco grader and moved to Harare in 1966 to seek employment at the Chubuku Breweries. In 1967 he joined the Sculptors Community at Tengenenge. Later he was a founding member of the Vukutu Workshop School established be Frank McEwen who much later in 1987 said of Mubayi, “Certainly when I knew him he was by far the greatest sculptor there... I have tremendous admiration for him... some of his work is as great as the world.”

Sylvester lived and worked in Chitungwiza. His work is inspired by a world of spirit and supernatural forces often fusing people and the animal world. Skeletons inspired his early work. He has exhibited extensively since 1968 in many parts of the world and has work in major collections in Europe and North America.

Sylvester passed away in December of 2022. He was the last remaining first generation Shona artist.

Country of Origin:

• Hand carved in Zimbabwe

Dimensions (in inches):

• Depth: 6"
• Length: 25"
• Height: 6"

Type of Stone:

• Springstone
• Springstone comes from the Guruve mine in northern Zimbabwe. It is one of the hardest stones found in the country and has an elevated density allowing it to be polished to a bright shine. Springstone contains high deposits of iron which can sometimes be seen in a reddish-brown outer layer on the stone. The iron also makes it an incredibly hard stone to carve by hand.
• One of the most famous 1st generation carvers, John Takawira, was said to have coined the name 'springstone' when he tried to carve the stone and it was so dense and strong that the chisel sprung off the stone, hence the name 'springstone'.

Shipping:

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Display:

• This piece can be displayed inside or outside.

About Shona Sculpture:

Stone sculpture in Zimbabwe, dating from 1956 until today, is the best-known manifestation of African contemporary art. Northern Zimbabwe has uniquely large amounts of carvable stone. The stone was so important to the people that the name ‘Shona’ is derived from a word in their native language that means ‘house of stone.’ There is no technical artistic training in Shona sculpture. Sculpting skills are passed down through families and the large and hard stones are carved with only a hammer and chisel. Hemingway Gallery purchases this sculpture directly from the Shona artists in Zimbabwe and has imported the monumental stone artwork since the early 1980s. These fine modern sculptures are unparalleled in both carving skill and design. Hemingway holds long-standing relationships with artists like Bywell Sango, Sylvester Mubayi, Witness Bonjisi and many more.

Click the Shona Sculpture tab below for further information!

Our Pricing:

Our pricing correlates directly to the asking prices of artists in Zimbabwe and the costs of importing their artwork to the U.S.

Further Information:

Please email us at info@hemingwayafricangallery.com or call 212-838-3650 with the SKU # for further information on this piece.