The Art-full Garden, Zimsculpt, returns

It’s coming back! The hit of last summer, Zimsculpt, an exhibit of stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, returns to the Garden August 13 through September 26.  Once again, VanDusen will be the only North American stop on a world tour that also includes the Chelsea Garden Show.

Accompanied by Curator, Vivienne Croissette along with artists, Passmore Mupindiko and Patrick Sephani, the exhibit will see sculpture strikingly arranged throughout the Garden. Anyone who saw the show in 2009 will remember Mr. Mupindiko and Mr. Sephani - both will again be sculpting on site with stone shipped from Zimbabwe.

This year’s show will be even larger than last year’s. “We underestimated the wonderful reception we would receive last year,” states curator Vivienne Croissette. “This year, I selected pieces for the show specifically with Vancouver in mind and they are being shipped directly to VanDusen from Zimbabwe. The VanDusen exhibit will include several pieces by Zimbabwe’s preeminent sculptor, Dominic Benhura.”

Mr. Benhura is considered one of Africa’s greatest contributions to the world of contemporary art. His work is found in galleries/major exhibits around the globe - from Tel Aviv to Santa Fe, Helsinki to Melbourne, London and Madrid to name only a few. In addition, Mr. Benhura’s work is in the personal collections of many distinguished individuals including Nelson Mandela and Stephen Lewis. His timeless and contemporary style captures in stone the essence of human movement, form and emotion. Working primarily in the hardest Zimbabwean Spring Stone, Mr. Benhura leaves large portions of his sculptures ‘raw,’ revealing the stone’s natural texture and beauty. Unlike most artists who rely on carved facial features to express emotion, Mr. Benhura is able to express incredible emotion and movement without sculpting any defining facial features on his pieces. He relies on motion, posture and negative space to make his deceptively simple pieces come to life.

Since its introduction in the 1960s, contemporary Zimbabwean sculpture has been embraced by the Western art scene. Many Zimbabwean sculptors, in addition to Mr. Benhura, have gained international recognition as master sculptors – rivalling artists such as Sir Henry Moore. After Moore’s death in 1986, art critics were quick to note that the world’s more notable sculptors could now be found in Zimbabwe. As critic Michael Shepherd wrote, “Now that Henry Moore is dead, who is the greatest stone carver in the world? In my experience there are three outstanding contenders ... and all three come from Zimbabwe.” (Michael Shepherd, Art Review, London, 1988). On August 13th at 7:30 p.m. Ms. Croissette will be giving a Cedar Lecture on the history and evolution of Shona stone sculpture. See pages 10 and 11 for ticket details.

All pieces in the Zimsculpt exhibit will be available for sale with partial proceeds going to support the Garden. Pieces range in size and price, from very small ‘personal sculptures’ to major works suitable for display in large spaces and/or gardens. There is no extra charge to see Zimsculpt; it is included in regular Garden admission prices.

Zimsculpt at VanDusen – August 13 to September 26 - it’s carved in stone!

Watch the video