African Art in Mexico

While touring an area of Mexico this week, I came across an exhibition of stone sculptures curated by the Muvezi Gallery. Interestingly enough, the series actually features Shona African Art. I didn't know what that meant at first but, upon research, the Shona people are a group of clans/tribes who live in Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique. The artists amongst the Shona take advantage of Zimbabwe's rich mineral deposits of volcanic rock so most of the sculptures are comprised of "leopard rock", cobalt stone and opal. Each piece of art varies because, being rocks, each sampling has its own unique variation of coloration, veining and texture consistency.

I was struck at how detailed some of the pieces are (considering the only tools provided for them are chisels and hammers) and couldn't help but notice their high-gloss. One in particular, entitled "Elder", showed sharp detail in the subject's beard and hair. The Shona originally relied on sand from riverbeds and plant oil to create this shine. Their technique has advanced to now incorporate firing and polishing with beeswax.

On a side note - after my presentation last week on Andrea Fraser's article "How To Provide An Artistic Service", the story of these Shona artists was particularly relevant. In the article, Fraser considered whether or not commissioned work required the artist to compromise on their art. In the case of the Shona, the Muvezi Gallery has employed approximately 200 of their best artists to continue providing work for the exhibition as the entire collection is spread out amongst several countries. In a way, elements of their culture are being preserved and they're given a means of income to do so. Not a bad trade-off although I will say I believe the works are a bit underpriced to be originals.