JustSayGO Travel Show
We're wrapping up production on this exciting new show. Featuring California, Singapore, Mexico and destinations throughout the US in the first few episodes! Stay tuned!!
At Missouri Botanical Gardens, St Louis, April 28-October 31, 2007
African sculptures return after 6 years to the Missouri Botanical Garden with an exhibition titled “Nature, Man, and Myth”, which features 23 hand-carved sculptures by Zimbabwe artists. The statues are poignant, moving, in this gorgeous green garden setting---especially striking in the Daylily Gardens.
Outside the entrance, “Chief Consults with Chapungu”, the monumental stone sculpture of an African man and eagle, introduces the exhibition.
In the language of the Shona, an indigenous tribe of Zimbabwe, ‘chapungu’ refers to the Bateleur eagle, an impressive bird of prey able to cover a distance of 300 miles a day and to fly up to 50 miles per hour. The chapungu is a sign of good luck, a protector of family and bringer of good fortune for the Shona. Seventeen of the 19 artists represented in the current exhibition are from the Shona tribe.
Roy Guthrie is the exhibit curator. He is also the founder of the original Chapungu Sculpture Garden in Zimbabwe. He explains that the artists work individually and have their own distinctive styles. The artists don’t use machines, creating these sculptures entirely by hand, often with simple handmade tools. Visitors to the garden can watch the two Artists in Residence at work, seeing a creation being coaxed out of a huge chunk of stone. The day we were there, the Artists in Residence were Royal Katiyo, and Gedion Nyanhongo (whose figure “Chapungu Protecting Family” is on display in the Garden). The artists use opal, cobalt and springstone, all various forms of serpentine that are extracted, mostly by hand, from open quarries throughout Zimbabwe. Once the stone is carved as the artist wants, it is sanded with emery paper and polished with clear wax to bring out the stone’s textures and natural colors. Visitors will notice that a feature of these huge statues is that frequently only parts of the statue are polished, the remainder left rough. In a certain sense the technique reminds me of that of Michelangelo, who often had shapes just barely emerging from the stone.
Most of the figures are monumental, ranging in height from 3 to 10 feet. They are clustered in the gardens close to the entrance, by the Spink Pavilion and the pools, the Daylily Garden, and the Climatron---which has one statue inside. The three thematic groupings of the statues---man and family, man and nature, man and myth---explore the traditional African family’s relationship with nature, and the myths and legends surrounding it.
Guthrie explains that most of the sculptures deal with traditional subject matter, but a few have more modern themes; Sanwell Chirume’s “Big Buck Surrendering”, for example, wonders if Africa’s amazing animals can survive the ongoing destruction of rivers and land; and, “Astronaut’s Wedding” by Henry Munyaradzi, done in 1983, was very topical.
Two sculptures from the 2001 Chapungu exhibition at the Botanical Gardens are now on permanent display in the azalea-rhododendron garden. “Sole Provider” by Joe Mutasa was a gift to St Louis from the people of Zimbabwe and Chapungu Sculpture Park in memory of those who died on September 11. The garden bought the second sculpture, “Protecting the Eggs”.
Guthrie is happy to be back in these beautiful gardens, and looks forward to another successful exhibition.
Like Alice, in “Through the Looking Glass”, who found the world a different place, looking at these huge African statues might seem strange at first. But, it’s just a different way of looking at life, another way of viewing and showing this world we live in. It’s life from an African perspective, especially from a Zimbabwe perspective, where life for the ordinary people is extremely hard, and has been difficult for many years. The themes and names of these statues reflect the reality of life in Zimbabwe today, where too many are dying of AIDS, and therefore where there are far too many orphans; where poverty and starvation are rampant; where education is beyond most people’s means. But, it’s also a place where family and community are very important, where strength can be gained from a belief in various higher beings, including mythical ones like Chapungu, the good omen, bringing protection and good fortune to the Shona people.
I’ve visited the original Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, 3 times, and I’ve seen 3 of the USA exhibitions---in St Louis in 2001 and 2007, and in Columbus, Ohio, in 2005. In the USA, two were in summer and one in winter, so in totally different weather experiences and settings. But, these sculptures can fit into any setting: In summer, they stride through the water in the pond, stand up amongst the lilies, and are framed by green grass and leafy trees. In winter, they are draped with snow, or are snuggled in among orchids and other hot-house plants in a conservatory.
So, these sculptures are adaptable and the themes have a universal appeal, even though the execution is different; for example, the deer changing into a butterfly to escape destruction; getting protection, help and advice from the eagle; advocating family unity; mourning loss of life from disease.
HARARE TODAY
Sadly, Guthrie told me that Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare is still functioning, but only just. There’s a small staff, very few tourists come, but Chapungu can still do these kinds of exhibitions, and can still sell some pieces overseas. They cannot offer the on-sight apprentice program any more, but the sculptors get a chance to be Artists in Residence at the overseas exhibitions, like here in St Louis. Chapungu now has an American branch, based in Loveland, CO.
NEXT
Chapungu has had many successful exhibitions in the USA, even though mounting them is becoming more and more expensive. After St Louis they will move to Denver again.
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDENS
9am-5pm daily, except December 25.
General admission (age 13 and up): $8. Reduced rates for garden members and residents of St Louis.
The Garden’s café, Sassafras, is open daily 9am-5pm. The Garden Gate Shop is open daily 9am-5:30pm.
Copyright
(c) 2007 JustSayGo, LLC. All rights reserved. The material on this
site OR from any other Internet site containing our material may not be reproduced
and may not be distributed, publicly performed or otherwise used in any manner,
except with the prior express permission of JustSayGo, LLC.
All articles and photographs are copyrighted by their respective author/photographer. Please review our Legal Notice and Privacy Policy.
JustSayGO Travel Show
CHAPUNGU: THE WORLD THROUGH 
African sculptures return after 6 years to the Missouri Botanical Garden with an exhibition titled “Nature, Man, and Myth”, which features 23 hand-carved sculptures by Zimbabwe artists. The statues are poignant, moving, in this gorgeous green garden setting---especially striking in the Daylily Gardens. 
Roy Guthrie is the exhibit curator. He is also the founder of the original Chapungu Sculpture Garden in Zimbabwe. He explains that the artists work individually and have their own distinctive styles. The artists don’t use machines, creating these sculptures entirely by hand, often with simple handmade tools. Visitors to the garden can watch the two Artists in Residence at work, seeing a creation being coaxed out of a huge chunk of stone. The day we were there, the Artists in Residence were Royal Katiyo, and Gedion Nyanhongo (whose figure “Chapungu Protecting Family” is on display in the Garden). The artists use opal, cobalt and springstone, all various forms of serpentine that are extracted, mostly by hand, from open quarries throughout Zimbabwe. Once the stone is carved as the artist wants, it is sanded with emery paper and polished with clear wax to bring out the stone’s textures and natural colors. Visitors will notice that a feature of these huge statues is that frequently only parts of the statue are polished, the remainder left rough. In a certain sense the technique reminds me of that of Michelangelo, who often had shapes just barely emerging from the stone.
Most of the figures are monumental, ranging in height from 3 to 10 feet. They are clustered in the gardens close to the entrance, by the Spink Pavilion and the pools, the Daylily Garden, and the Climatron---which has one statue inside. The three thematic groupings of the statues---man and family, man and nature, man and myth---explore the traditional African family’s relationship with nature, and the myths and legends surrounding it.
Guthrie is happy to be back in these beautiful gardens, and looks forward to another successful exhibition.
I’ve visited the original Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, 3 times, and I’ve seen 3 of the USA exhibitions---in St Louis in 2001 and 2007, and in Columbus, Ohio, in 2005. In the USA, two were in summer and one in winter, so in totally different weather experiences and settings. But, these sculptures can fit into any setting: In summer, they stride through the water in the pond, stand up amongst the lilies, and are framed by green grass and leafy trees. In winter, they are draped with snow, or are snuggled in among orchids and other hot-house plants in a conservatory.