Artist: Collen Nyanhongo in his own words

Voice: Collen Nyanhongo, Chapungu Artist


I am Collen Nyanhongo. I come from a well known family of
internationally recognized Zimbabwean sculptors.

Sculpture has always been part of my life. From when I was
very young, I would sculpt for fun with my father Claude and my
brothers and sisters. I sculpted with them after school in my free
time. My father is my main inspiration to become a sculptor. I
began studying how to sculpt under him, my brother Gideon and
my sister Agnes. I sculpted with them on the weekends while I
attended college. During that time, art collectors would come to
our house or the galleries and purchase my sculptures.

When I completed college, I looked for a job as a salesperson at
Chapungu Sculpture Park. Instead the director, Mr. Roy Guthrie,
encouraged me to pursue my talents as an artist.

As I am working on a piece, I want to combine what the stone
has in it with my artistic creativity and through the process the
sculpture evolves.

The main subjects of my work are of the Shona spirits, nature,
birds, animals and figures sculpted in an abstract form.

I choose to work with springstone, leopard stone, and lepidolite.
From my sculptures, I want to help people to understand the
culture of our ancestors, the day-to-day life of people and the
interaction between man and nature.