Because a great number of the artists belonged to the tribe of the Shona when this new art trend developed, for more than three decades the term “Shona Stone Sculptures” was used. But also some of the great sculptors came already since the beginning period from neighbouring countries, such as Fanizani Akuda from Sambia, Luizi Purumero from Mocambique, or Bauden Khoreya from Malawi. This trend continued and therefore also the term “Stone sculptures from Zimbabwe” has now been generally established.

Only in the middle of the last century the Shona started creating their first sculptures – as pure art. These works were mainly originated from Zimbabwe´s agricultural and mining districts dating from colonial times. In these centres the Shona were exposed to a multitude of cultural impressions: to the modern western trend, the traditions of other African nations which had been resettled by the British, and last but not least to the life outside their traditional order.

In this way a unique form of art was created which understands sculpture as a creative process, but as the same time exposing it to the examples of nature and their own mythological history.

Before the sculptors start working on the stone they must not only find it first but above all explore its character. The stone tells them what shape and character it finally must have. Therefore the artists can work on it only as long as they carry the image in their mind which the stone has conveyed to them. If they lose it, they can continue their work only after the image has come back to their minds.

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