Woman defies odds, becomes a fine sculptor

Rejoyce Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
HISTORY has mainly acknowledged male sculptors, but the push for gender equality has seen women emerging from obscurity to the fore and one of these women is from Matshetshe in Gwanda District, in the province of Matabeleland South.

Saturday Chronicle came across Mirica Chitari (45), the only female stone sculptor in Matshetshe, an area where men dominate the industry.

From the way she explains the process of making the sculptures, it becomes clear that she fully understands what she is doing just like the men she competes against.

Mirica, who has been a sculptor for 25 years, told the news crew that she started doing stone sculpture when she was only 17 years old.

The talented sculptor says from where she grew up in Masvingo, some people practiced such art and this is how she developed an interest in it and then pursued it.

Mirica, a single mother of three, uses sculpture to fend for her family, educate her children and has built her home from the proceeds.

“As you can see, I am the only female stone sculptor. I am proud to be representing women in such a field and most community members have complimented my work so much and it has made me push even harder. I am setting a good example to people and largely to my children that anything is possible if one puts effort and determination into it.

“For all my sculptures I use mega, black and green serpentine and soapstone. I always have to hire transport to go to Masvingo where I get these stones when I am about to run out of them. Both transport and the purchase of these stones are expensive but I have been managing to balance the business,” said Mirica.

She showed Saturday Chronicle some of her sculptures and they were just exceptional. There was absolutely no difference from the ones that were made by men. They were even a much finer product compared to others. She attributes this to her feminine touch.

“I have been making various sizes of animal sculptures such as elephants, lions, rhinos, hyenas, zebras, giraffes and buffaloes among other animals. This is because most people like animals and also the fact that they represent the surnames of various groups of people. There are also sculptures of people such as both men and women, old and young carrying out certain activities,” said the sculptor.

Mirica said the process of making a complete sculpture includes first selecting the proper stone to be used which will then be moulded into the desired shape using tools such as rasps, chisels and hammers.

She added that after the rough product has been made, she uses sandpaper which will make the sculpture smooth and fine, it will then be burnt and then polished.

Her sculptures tell a story, they are a glimpse into the culture of local people and their history. One of the sculptures is of an old man doing carpentry and another is of women carrying clay pots on their heads.