Zimbabwe

Pieces of Time

By S. Garan’anga

 _{“Pieces of Time” an anthology of the articles that Celia Winter-Irving wrote and were published in the country’s main national newspapers namely ‘The Herald’ and ‘The Zimbabwe Mirror’ for three years since the year 1999. Rewarded with the Best Non-Fiction Academic, which include, Humanities and Social Sciences award by Mambo Press, the tenth book by Celia Winter-Irving, celebrates the richness of Zimbabwean sculpture, a heritage that generations will marvel at, learn from and, in turn, bequeath to future generations. Winter-Irving's vast experience in art and culture in Zimbabwe, especially stone sculpture is evident in the book as she handles the subject eloquently and meticulously.}

_{The book has layers of effect keenly felt as one unstoppably digs into it. Here is a book that can easily be called History, a reference text, an anthology of sculptor biographies and an expose of Zimbabwe's stone sculpture. This is a record-breaking book that pursues the lives and works of Zimbabwean sculptors without looking from above- but from inside seeing them work, hearing them sing and feeling the contours of their wares. The book defines Zimbabwe's stone sculpture as part of the world's Art theory and practice, in ways that reduce the world to a village and each country and tradition to a mere piece of the universal set.}

_{Largely centred on Tom Blomefield's Tengenenge in Zimbabwe's north-eastern Guruve district and Chapungu Sculpture Park, the book is a journey across three generations of Zimbabwe's stone's sculptors. In the First Generation section, Winter-Irving gives brief details of Bernard Matemera who was "everyone's idea of a sculptor and somehow everyone's idea of a great man"; Nicholas Mukomberanwa, the "man of spiritual means" and Henry Munyaradzi whose life was stone. The Second Generation features the works of Arthur Fata of whose ability in "making stones speak is unparralled"; Eddie Masaya, "a sculptor who speaks of his sculpture and its traditions with a passion of a musician for his music...", Lazarus Takawira with "...from beautiful stone to beautiful woman," and Gladman Zinyeka whose sculpture "...spoke his own life, much in control of the stone he carved." And the much younger and last generation discussed in the book comprises such greats as Joe Mutasa, Chris Casina, Tinashe Makaza, Webster Gutsa, Dominic Benhura, Collen Madamombe and Sam Kavhunguhwa.}

_{And not surprising for a gender which in the last decade has sprouted on the the surface of sculpture much as flowers bloom in Spring or Autumn the soulful women of stone. The likes of Agnes Nyanhongo, Semina Mpofu, Alice Musarara and Letwin Mugavazi! These and other sculptors capture in their sculpture phenomen and from their sociocultural milieu while other pieces are a result of outright imagination. The author says sculpture moves with time and that contemporary culture is a term that was used some 20 years ago, now, tomorrow and "until the mountains and mines run dry of stones." This explanation makes ‘Pieces of Time’ an appropriate title for the book.}

_{The book is also professionally photographically referenced. The pieces of sculpture whose photographs appear in the book include 'Woman Winnowing' (Taylor Nkomo), 'Muroora' (Agnes Nyanhongo), 'Euphobia in Bloom' (Arthur Fata), 'Spring Time' (Henry S. Derere), 'My Spirit and I' (Nicholas Mukomberanwa), 'Old Chapungu' (Bernard Matemera), 'A Bull' (Henry Munyaradzi), 'Wild Seed Pod' (Arthur Fata), 'Njuzu Water Spirit' (Lazarus Takawira), 'The Family Conference' (Gladman Zinyeke), 'Secret Lovers' (Edorence Rukodzi), 'Swing me mama', 'Our HIV Friend', 'Lovers' (Dominic Benhura) and 'The Bead Maker' (Collen Madamombe). The author pays tribute to the role Tengengenge founder-director Tom Blomefield has played in the promotion of Zimbabwe's sculpture. Additionally, the book also dedicates a section to the marvelous work done at Chapungu Sculpture Park.}

_{The conversational and terse style the author uses makes the contents of the book ring in the reader's mind as would sweet music long after it has been heard. The book is perhaps appropriately introduced by Titus Chipangura, Director of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ). As much a read for the local and international sculpture expert as for anybody else, ‘Pieces of Time’ compels the reader to go back to those seemingly eyeless faces of stone, go back to discern sadness, spiritual journeying, harvest, dance, love, coupling and even death.} 

_{Stephen Garan'anga is a visual artist from Zimbabwe. View his portfolio}