ZimSculpt is back at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Even if you can’t tell the difference between verbena and vinca vine, you might be excited about what’s happening right now at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
Daniel Stowe is bringing back one of its most popular exhibitions from last year — ZimSculpt.
ZimSculpt, an international exhibition of Shona sculpture, returns to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont. pic.twitter.com/w6cWXg93Iu
— Will MacDonald (@WillyMacD) April 17, 2015
//><!--The garden held its opening bash on April 30, complete with African-inspired hors d’oeuvres and South African wine.//--><!
That night, visitors got to see the captivating display of more than 100 exquisite stone African Shona sculptures on display throughout the garden, some towering more than 7 feet high and weighing several thousand pounds.
Zimbabwean sculptors Passmore Mupindiko and Aron Kapembeza journeyed more than 6,000 miles from their homeland to Charlotte to accompany the exhibition, demonstrate techniques, answer questions and interact with garden visitors for the duration of the exhibition, which runs through July 12.
ZimSculpt curator Joseph Croisette and his wife Vivienne will be on hand during the first and third Thursdays of each month of the exhibition to lead Garden Nights at Daniel Stowe from 5-9 p.m.
Don’t miss the chance to:
(1) Taste South African wines during these tours and
(2) Purchase African jewelry and smaller Shona works at the specially established marketplace.
ZimSculpt: Did you know?
– Works are sculpted from varieties of the hard, mineral-laden rock indigenous to the region, known as serpentine. Other rock such as opal stone and spring stone mined in Zimbabwe are also used to produce finished pieces that shimmer in hues of black, brown, green and white.
-The sculptures are largely contemporary, crafted by hand, hammer, chisel and rasp, and rarely from sketches. Amazingly, most pieces are carved from a single block of stone.
– Traditional Zimbabwe Shona sculpture is some of the most highly regarded and collected African artwork in the world. This art form gets its name from the largest tribe of stone sculptors in Africa and typically depicts scenes from nature, native animals and their unique cultural heritage.
Photos courtesy of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.
This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 8:15 PM with the headline "ZimSculpt is back at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden."