admin
Tafadzwa Zimoyo-Senior Arts Reporter
Lawyer and sculptor David Ngwerume says he is auctioning his trending sculpture on child marriages to the highest bidder.
Dubbed “Halt Child Marriage”, the piece which depicts an apostolic sect member holding his stick while a girl is trapped, has received rave reviews from fans who have described it as an effective tool for communication.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, Ngwerume said the piece was inspired by the surge in child marriages.
“This piece is being sold at a private auction, with the highest bidder taking it home,” he said.
“I can say this is my next world collection and for how long shall we continue crying about the issue of child marriages?
“It has to stop as it continues to haunt us. Young girls are still forced to have children by the manipulative men under the disguise of religion.”
Ngwerume said good art should inspire a generation and remain relevant in years to come.
“I can say that the beauty of art is my gift,” he said.
“I thank the Lord for the talent and pray that we all come together to denounce child marriages.
‘‘We should also fight social ills such as gender inequality and child abuse. Our voices should be heard and it is our job as artists to use our tools, be it music, sculpture or acting to denounce these ‘ugly diseases’.”
Ngwerume said the piece was made from spring-stone and there were no virtual exhibitions planned as he was busy with sculpting.
“For now I am not hosting any exhibition because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“What I am focusing on is that after every piece I post it on social media and that is my marketing strategy.”
Meanwhile, some local fans have praised Ngwerume’s piece on social media as they continued to advocate an end to child marriages.
“David Ngwerume, is that you again, son? This is amazing my brother, if this isn’t a call to action then, I don’t know what else is. Well done counsel,” posted Charlton Tsodzo.
Pervia Chigwida said a picture was worth a thousand words, but this masterpiece shared a universal truth.
“Deep emotions of how one religious belief destroys a girl child’s life. This piece will go a long way towards our cry for justice for the girl child,” he said.
Another fan, Memory Melody Mafo, supported the notion that the aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter