Square Chikwanda
Square Chikwanda (born 1972) is a Zimbabwean sculptor, living and working in Harare, Zimbabwe. He first learned his art from his father, also a Zimbabwean sculptor.
Short Biography
[edit]Born in Mvurwi, Chikwanda moved to the Tengenenge Sculpture Community with his father at the age of seven.[1] There his father taught him at an early age to wash and polish stone. He finished primary school and learned the art of sculpture to become a full-time artist at the age of thirteen, developing his own style. At the Community he had several students, of whom Jonathan Mhondorohuma became a good friend. In 1993 he left the community to work in Harare at the Chapungu Sculpture Park. At this park, Chikwanda continued expanding his artistic know-how, which made him one of the leading Harare sculptors. As of 2006[update], he works on his own in Chitungwiza, a Harare suburb.[2] His work has been exhibited worldwide.
Style
[edit]Chikwanda's sculptures deal mostly with portraits and animals e.g. "Blind Portrait",[3] Berlin, Germany or "Hippo",[4] Tengenenge, Zimbabwe. His figures are generally very square and stylised : arms, legs and fingers are often square and show hard lines; noses have knife sharp edges. His sculptures remind indeed the art-deco figures of the 1930-1940 and are always polished to a high degree of perfection.[citation needed] He uses local Zimbabawean stone, including springstone.[5]
Exhibitions
[edit]- Annual Heritage Exhibition, National Gallery, Harare, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1997.
- Museum for Humour and Satire, Bucharest, Bulgaria, 1988.
- National South-African Gallery, Overport, Durban, South Africa, 1991.
- Master Sculptors Of Zimbabwe, Art Center an der Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, Germany, October – December 2006
- Mestres Escultors de Zimbabwe, Museo Comarcal, Montsia d'Amposta, Spain, 21 May-21 June 2009.
- Master Sculptors Of Zimbabwe, Boserup Gallery, Boserupvej 100, Roskilde, Denmark, February 2010.
- Master Sculptors Of Zimbabwe, Sanomatalo Building, Helsinki, Finland, March 2010.
- Master Sculptors Of Zimbabwe, Friends For Ever Gallery, Friedrichstrasse 134, Berlin, Germany, May 2010.
Permanent Collections
[edit]- Museum of Tengenenge, Zimbabwe.
- Chapungu Sculpture Park, Harare, Zimbabwe.
- Africa Museum, Berg en Dal, The Netherlands.
- British Museum[6]
References
[edit]- ↑ -, "Contemporary Master Sculptors of Zimbabwe", Ruwa, Zimbabwe 2007, p.57; ISBN 978-0-7974-3527-8
- ↑ -, "Meister Bildhauer aus Simbabwe", Art Center Berlin Friedrichstrasse, Berlin, Germany, Oktober – Dezember 2006, p.24-27 (catalogue)
- ↑ Square Chikwanda, "Blind Portrait", Springstone, 55 cm x 14 cm x 23 cm.
- ↑ Square Chikwanda, "Hippo", Springstone, 18 cm × 31 cm × 33 cm.
- ↑ "'Collection of Sculptures'" (PDF). mangiacane.com. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ↑ "Square Chikwanda". britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2025-04-11.