Monkey by Dominic Benhura

Description of Significance:

The sculpture is an exceptionally unique piece by Dominic Benhura. Dominic is part of the second generation of Shona Artists carving in Zimbabwe. He brought a new abstracted style to the Shona movement. This piece is one of Benhura's earlier sculptures and it differs from his traditional anthropomorphic style. In addition to its beauty, it is also an example of extraordinary engineering as the balance in the tail is perfect.

Artist Bio:

"At the age of 10 Dominic Benhura began to assist his cousin, the sculptor Tapfuma Gutsa, and soon after to create his own works.  Many early formative years were spent at Chapungu Sculpture Park and he is today regarded as the cutting edge of Zimbabwe sculpture with one man exhibitions in Zimbabwe, Australia, Belgium, Holland, Germany and America.

His subject matter is extensive including plants, trees, reptiles, animals and the whole gamut of human experience.  Benhura has an exceptional ability to portray human feeling through form rather than facial expression.

His method of working is different to many of his contemporaries.  He sketches profusely and a sketch book is always close at hand.

He continues to lead by experimentation and innovation and has created many memorable works."

Country of Origin:

• Hand carved in Zimbabwe

Dimensions:

• W:8" D:15" H:79"
• Depth x Width x Height

Type of Stone:

• Green Opal
• Green Opal is sourced in the mines north of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare.  After polishing, it becomes a deep beautiful green. It is favored by many Shona artists as it is not as hard as Springstone but it still polishes to a high shine. The first Green Opal mines were not found until 1989.

Display:

• This piece includes an iron base for added stability. 
• We can make a custom pedestal for your piece. Please email us for a quote info@hemingwayafricangallery.com or call 212-838-3650
• This piece can be displayed outside as weather will not harm the stone. Shona sculpture is the perfect addition to any garden design!

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!

Shipping:

• Shipping on large or fragile pieces is calculated on a case by case basis. This is because sometimes a custom crate is needed. We also want to make sure to get you the best shipping quote so we price out rates after purchase. For a shipping estimate on the large pieces, please give us a call! 212-838-3650 or email info@hemingwayafricangallery.com
• Delivery in the New York area is available via truck. 
• We ship around the world! Our website is still new and is not yet processing automatic international shipping rates. Please contact us directly for custom shipping quotes outside the mainland USA (including Hawaii and Alaska).

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. We need to change the idea that artists should be paid pennies for their fine art just because it comes from Africa. Paying a fair price to our artists is our number one priority and our pricing reflects that.

Further Information:

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