Online Reporter
Maria Chiguvari
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
VISUAL artist, Zenzo Muzamba, said his recent piece is a message of hope to young people battling drug abuse.
Muzamba, who started sculpting at the age of 11, recently completed a piece titled “Light Ahead,” using green opal stone.
In an interview with Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub, Muzamba said his artwork was inspired by young people he sees in his community, who are turning to drugs such as guka and marijuana, because they feel they have no hope for the future.
“The inspiration came from the ghetto youths I see every day. So many are losing direction to drugs like guka and marijuana because they feel there is no light ahead.
“I wanted to sculpt hope itself,” said Muzamba.
He said he chose green opal because he associates the colour green with life and new beginnings.
The artwork also features the sun and moon, which he said represent light. uzamba said creating “Light Ahead” was not easy as he had to travel to Chiweshe to buy the raw stones and find a way to transport them to Harare at a time when sales were low. I want the youths to focus on building their lives so that the future becomes brighter for them.
“I chose green opal stone because green is life. After rain, fields get a fresh start.
“The challenge was to go to Chiweshe to buy the raw stones and their transportation to Harare due to low sales.
“The first stage is shaping the stone with the punch. After that I use a chasing hammer to remove rough lines left by the punch. I chisel it to make clear details. I rasp it with a rasper then sandpapers smoothen it.
“I heat the stone with gas fuel, using a blow torch, applying white floor polish to bring that deep shine,” he said.
The 31-year-old said his approach to art has changed over the years with his work now carrying messages beyond simply making a living. My early artworks had no deeper meanings like this one. I made this one with the feeling that I had to save people.“Now, my art is more meaningful. It is like my voice to the world. “It is no longer about doing it just for my survival but about opening the eyes of many people.”
Muzamba started sculpting in 2006 after learning the craft from his father. He says one of the biggest challenges facing local stone sculptors is the limited local market.
“Mostly, it is foreigners who buy our art. Locals do not buy it like Europeans and Americans do.
“Although some say art should not be done for money, at the end of the day, my family and I have to survive.”
Muzamba dreams of taking his work to international exhibitions and help promote Shona stone sculpture around the world. “I dream of doing exhibitions overseas and making Shona art popular in the world more than it is now.
“Zimbabwe is blessed with too many types of stones to sculpt. “I dream of our own sculptures changing many people’s lives when more sales are made.”
