Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 7

Colleen Madamombe
'Coming From the Fields' original Shona stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe

2003

About the Item

'Coming From the Fields' is an original black serpentine sculpture by the celebrated second generation Shona artist Colleen Madamombe. The sculpture presents a character common to Madamombe's work: a woman with a round face and wearing a billowing, layered dress. In this example, the woman holds a basket of fruit in her hands as she dances forward. Madamombe's larger themes of womanhood, sisterhood, and matrilineage come into play here, as she uses the woman as a symbol of the fertility of the harvest and of the earth. As is so desired of her work, this sculpture is a play in texture: their faces and hands are polished and smooth, which is juxtaposed with the rough-hewn surfaces of the clothing and hair. black serpentine 10 x 8 x 9 inches Signed along the base on the reverse Acquired directly from the artist (C-30) Excellent condition with no chips or signs of wear Colleen Madamombe (1964–2009) was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. Considered to be among the finest new talents from Zimbabwe, she won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe three years in a row, and became an established figure of the Second Generation of Zimbabwean stone sculptors. Madamombe's sculpture is evidence of her strong determination, self expression, and creativity. The themes of womanhood, girlhood, pregnancy, motherhood, and the authority of the tribal Matriarch are visible in her artwork. These themes provided continuing inspiration and she looked forward to continue portraying the feminine experience through old age. Madamombe was interested in not only the emotional and spiritual side in a woman's life, but also the basic physical appearance and movement particular to females. She depicted in her forms these aspects of womanhood with a poetic clarity, revealing emotions such as pride, authority, energy, endeavor, sadness, tenderness and humor. Madamombe was a quiet and private person, however she had strong feelings concerning the changing role of women in Zimbabwean society. Opportunities were and are developing for women; however, she felt they were losing their positions of traditional respect. In her view, it remained difficult for women to pursue a career in the arts, predominantly because of an inherent lack of self-confidence. However another critical factor is that the idea of following one's own ideas and ambitions or pursuing a profession is foreign to many Zimbabwean women. Madamombe explained: "A lot of women are artists and just don't realize it – making pots and other things for the home, and not for sale." Some of Madamombe's early works emphasized the importance of seemingly insignificant subjects such as ants, bees, butterflies and caterpillars. She admitted to a fascination with what she saw as the humility of insects, a trait she felt the human race had lost. Other creatures, such as the cat and the zebra have provided interesting subject material, but her fascination with the smallest of living things endured, remarking: "[I like] the way ants move in lines particularly. I love to watch their movement." She observed each of her subjects as closely as possible, and then carved from a strong mental image and the memories she held of the animal, insect, or person. Madamombe predominantly worked in hard black Serpentine and used the outer blanket of the stone to create several different textures to contrast with the polished surfaces. She died on May, 31 2009 and is buried near her rural home in Zvimba.
  • Creator:
    Colleen Madamombe (1964 - 2009, Shona, Zimbabwean)
  • Creation Year:
    2003
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 10 in (25.4 cm)Width: 9 in (22.86 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
  • Medium:
    Stone
  • Movement & Style:
    Contemporary
  • Period:
    2000-2009
  • Condition:
    Excellent condition with no chips or signs of wear.
  • Gallery Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 11622g1stDibs: LU60536933062
More From This SellerView All
  • Africa Female Artist Stone Sculpture Figure Celebrate Modern Contemporary Signed
    By Colleen Madamombe
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Celebrations (C-56)" is an original black serpentine stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece, and it weighs 228 pounds. This piece features a woman with a ...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    Africa Female Artist Stone Sculpture Figure Celebrate Modern Contemporary Signed

    Colleen Madamombe
    Africa Female Artist Stone Sculpture Figure Celebrate Modern Contemporary Signed, 2003

  • African Female Figure Stone Sculpture Contemporary Shona Expressionism Signed
    By Colleen Madamombe
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Morning Excercise (C-3)" is an original black serpentine stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece along the base of the skirt. This artwork features a woman...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    African Female Figure Stone Sculpture Contemporary Shona Expressionism Signed

    Colleen Madamombe
    African Female Figure Stone Sculpture Contemporary Shona Expressionism Signed, 2003

  • 'Dancing in the Wind' original Shona stone sculpture by Wellington Karuru
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    'Dancing in the Wind' is an original opal serpentine sculpture by the Zimbabwean artist Wellington Karuru. The artist presents an elegant and curvilinear figure of a woman, her hair seeming to billow upward and behind her. The sculpture is on one hand a celebration of the stone material, and on the other it calls back to art historical precedent: her body is brought to a high polish, reflecting the softness of skin, while her hair is left rough-hewn to create the effect of the untamed wind. At the same time, the woman's body is highly stylized and emphasizes her hips and belly, recalling Paleolithic "Venus" sculptures like the lauded Venus of Willendorf and thusly ideas of maternity and womanhood. opal stone (serpentine) not signed 23" high x 8" widest point x 4" smallest point, sculpture 4"x4"x4", sculpture bottom 1 x 6 x 6 inches, base Overall excellent condition with no signs of wear Sculpture comes with base. Born on August 17, 1976, Wellington Karuru is the first born to a family of five children and has two brothers and two sisters. As the first born child in a Zimbabwean family, many responsibilities were shouldered upon Wellington. Both his brothers, Gilbert and Esau, are also talented sculptors. He completed his primary and secondary education in Mashonaland West Province and was involved in almost every sporting activity at the school. After he graduated, he was employed at National Foods LTD where he worked as a machine operator for a period of four years and was later promoted to work as a sales clerk. In his free time he assisted some well known artists in sculpting, was able to learn much from them and soon thereafter started to develop his own talent and unique style. Inspired by such well known sculptors such as Gardener Sango and Garison Muchinjili, Wellington started sculpting small pieces for himself and soon found a buyer for his favorite piece titled ‘A Cry For Help’. From that day forward, he has never looked back. He eventually went to work with Garison Machinjili whose influence is clearly shown in his work. Some of his pieces have been chosen already for international exhibitions and galleries. Well established and internationally renowned artists like Joe Mutasa...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    'Dancing in the Wind' original Shona stone sculpture by Wellington Karuru

    Wellington Karuru
    'Dancing in the Wind' original Shona stone sculpture by Wellington Karuru, 2001

  • 'Healing and Diagnosing' original Shona stone sculpture by Aaron P. Chikumbirike
    By Aaron Perkins Chikumbirike
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    'Healing and Diagnosing' is an original stone sculpture by the Zimbabwean sculptor Aaron Perkins Chikumbirike. The sculpture presents a highly stylized figural grouping, as is so oft...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    'Healing and Diagnosing' original Shona stone sculpture by Aaron P. Chikumbirike

    Aaron Perkins Chikumbirike
    'Healing and Diagnosing' original Shona stone sculpture by Aaron P. Chikumbirike, 2004

  • "My Dear Friend, " Green Serpentine Stone signed by Chemedu Jemali a Shona
    By Chemedu Jemali
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "My Dear Friend" is a green serpentine stone signed by Chemedu Jemali who is a African Shona. The body of the figure is a fluid shape with their left hand in...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    "My Dear Friend, " Green Serpentine Stone signed by Chemedu Jemali a Shona

    Chemedu Jemali
    "My Dear Friend, " Green Serpentine Stone signed by Chemedu Jemali a Shona, 2003

  • "Joyful Bowler, " Serpentine Sculpture signed by Felix Mlungisi an African Shona
    By Felix Mlungisi
    Located in Milwaukee, WI
    "Joyful Bowler" is a serpentine sculpture signed by Felix Mlungisi an African Shona. This figure is shown squatting and looking upwards with eyes closed. Their hair is not polished s...
    Category

    Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Stone

    "Joyful Bowler, " Serpentine Sculpture signed by Felix Mlungisi an African Shona

    Felix Mlungisi
    "Joyful Bowler, " Serpentine Sculpture signed by Felix Mlungisi an African Shona, 2004

You May Also Like

Recently Viewed

View All

More Ways To Browse

Stone Age Art
Stone Sculpture Forms
Black Stone Sculptures
Large Stone Sculpture
Stone Sale
Old Stone Sign
Fruit Sculpture
Black Round Sculpture
Polished Stone Sculpture
Stone Figural Sculpture
Large Round Large Sculpture
Round Large Sculpture
Large Round Sculpture
Large Sculptures For Sale
Field Watch
Womans Face Sculpture
Cats Sculpture Black
Stone Fruit
View All Popular Figurative Sculptures Searches