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Jonathan Mbiriyamveka Entertainment Reporter
STONE sculptor Dominic Benhura, who is among several influential people who have been named as UNWTO brand ambassadors, says the general assembly will provide an opportunity for Zimbabwean artists to tell their own stories through art. The well-travelled sculptor said he was humbled to be one of the UNWTO brand ambassadors and that his work was now recognised in Zimbabwe.
“Basically this means stone sculpture is now being recognised locally and I am humbled by the gesture which is not only for me but also other sculptors throughout the country. The UNWTO General Assembly is also going to give an impetus to the sculpture community since we are expecting people to visit galleries in the country,” he said.
The down-to-earth Benhura said the visitors should expect some breathtaking installations and exhibitions in Victoria Falls as well as at galleries in the country.
“Due to the time constraints it was my wish to stage a major show during the UNWTO, however, we are still going to have exhibitions running on the sidelines of the general assembly. I also urge visitors to go around the galleries in Zimbabwe so that they appreciate the rich history of stone sculpture which dates back to the priceless Zimbabwe Bird.
“I am aware that the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe will also be all out to promote the heritage and culture which my art falls under. So it is going to be a combined effort and that is the beauty of the show,” Benhura said.
Besides the Dominic Studio in Greendale which Benhura has turned into a must-see for art lovers, he also runs the Tengenenge Sculpture Community in Guruve. The community is home to more than 300 sculptors.
Benhura vowed to use his overseas contacts to urge visitors to visit other places of interest in Zimbabwe where they can enjoy authentic art.
“I know there are other places like Amakhosi which host several cultural activities and here in Harare we have galleries that will excite visitors,” he said.
Benhura has always lived up to the task when it comes to producing commissioned works. He has been creating and selling his work for over 25 years and is internationally renowned as one of the most talented second generation sculptors in Zimbabwe.
He began creating sculptures when he was just 10, working as an apprentice for his cousin, first generation artist Tapfuma Gutsa. When he sold his first piece as a professional artist at the age of 12, he became determined to follow a career as a sculptor despite disapproval from his family. “I was quite bright,” he once said, “so my family wanted me to get a good job as an architect. They thought there was no future in being an artist.”
He was to prove them wrong gaining a place at the highly competitive Chapungu Sculpture Park and exhibiting his work all over the world.
He decided to break away from Chapungu in 1994 after he grew disillusioned with the system. Benhura built his own studio in his backyard at his home in Harare and invited 40 artists to work with him.
Benhura’s work portrays emotion through form rather than facial features. He gets endless inspiration for his work from his five children and he noticed when travelling to exhibit his work that children from Europe to America played the same games as his own kids in Zimbabwe.
It can take him up to two years to complete some of his larger sculptures. Smaller ones take between two and three months. He uses various mixed media — different types of stone, bones, steel and wire. He is also the only Zimbabwean stone sculptor to use colour on his sculptures, painted textiles and glass on his figures of children to give the viewer a sense of the simple joy and fun of children at play.
Benhura gets his inspiration from the things around him and refuses to go into museums and art galleries as he does not want to be influenced by other people’s work. The aim of his work is to communicate powerful but simple ideas and he says that this is most evident in one of his favourite pieces “Our HIV Friend” of which he is justifiably proud. It is a massive piece weighing 8 to 10 tonnes, showing two figures hugging in a gesture of love and support.
The piece also bears his motion trademark like in most of his sculptures which include “Swing Me Mama” and “Breeding Bull”.
His sculptures are found in the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe.
The 20th UNWTO General Assembly is being co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia and runs from August 24-29 in Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
Online Reporter