Gaia Movement’s Art Exhibit
Friends Forever
About 2.6 billion Years Ago...
Thawed land, cracks in the earth’s crust, and volcanic activity made elements crystalize into minerals. There were many special, high quality stones formed. They were found in the 550 km long mountains ridge of the Great Dykes in Zimbabwe.
The minerals platinum, chrome, nickel, and gold are mined in modern times. These minerals form and play an important part of Zimbabwe’s economy today. The stones laid the foundation for the Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture tradition.
During the 1890's...
This was the time frame that archaeologists uncovered Great Zimbabwe. At this time Great Zimbabwe was a city built of granite blocks fitted together without mortar. It had been an important trade center reaching all the way to Persia, India and China.
A number of tall bird stone sculptures were found there carved in soapstone. The bird became part of the Zimbabwean flag in 1980 after their liberation from the British colonialists. Zimbabwe means “House of Stone”.
Jumping ahead to the 1960's...
The Zimbabwean liberation struggle against British colonial rule began in 1964 during severe economic hardship. The Tengenenge sculpture community was founded by Tom Blomefield. During this economic hardship, Tom faced a bankrupt tobacco farm. He thought up ways for his farmers to continue to support themselves and their families. He suggested to his farm workers to start making stone sculptures.
Tengenenge remains active today with around 80 artists skilled in the art and craft of stone making. Sculptor Henry Munyaradzi exhibited in Europe in 1969. This marked the beginning of international recognition of Zimbabwean stone sculpture.
Friends Forever in the early 2000's...
Friends Forever was started in 2004 by a group of stone sculpture artists and their European friends. There had been sanctions against Zimbabwe for three years and the economy was suffering. This made it difficult to exhibit, export, or even sell stone sculptures. Friends Forever joined forces to pack and export large containers with stone sculptures for international exhibitions.
Many artists of Friends Forever are second and third generation artists. They are the sons, daughters, and close relatives of the first few great stone sculpture artists known internationally. They work independently with their art although they also inspire each other. Each piece of art is unique and not copied. All sculptures are handmade. First with chisel and hammer, then sandpaper and water, and then fire and polishing wax.
24 artists who today share the title “Master Sculptors of Zimbabwe” have stuck together for more than 20 years. They remain at their collective center 35 km outside the capital, Harare. Here they share production facilities, organize going to the mountains in the Great Dykes, and identify and transport the raw stones.
They and their friends organize packing art pieces and transporting them to the airport. Then the art pieces are flown to the permanent exhibition in Berlin, Germany. Some pieces even travel to exhibitions all around the world. Today their sculptures can be found in more than 50 countries in homes, parks, and galleries.
Friends Forever Can Be Viewed in Chicago!
The most recent exhibition can be found at The Gaia Movement Climate Center at 8918 S Green St. Chicago, IL 60620. Contact us to reserve a time to view the captivating sculptures from Zimbabwe that are part of the Friends Forever collection.
If you want to procure your very own Zimbabwean sculpture that embodies the heart of Zimbabwe and the culture, call (773) 651-7870 to speak to Eva or Marianne.