Colleen Madamombe

'Exercising' original Shona stone sculpture signed by Colleen Madamombe

2004

Colleen Madamombe was born in 1964 in Harare, Zimbabwe. She is considered to be one of the finest talents from Zimbabwe and has won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe for three consecutive years. Madamombe quickly became an established figure of the second generation of Zimbabwean stone sculptors. Madamombe's sculpture was evidence of her strong determination to express herself by creating a very individual style and choice of the subject matter. The themes of womanhood, girlhood, pregnancy, motherhood and tribal matriarchy were visible in her artwork. These themes provided continuous inspiration and she looked forward to 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 poetic clarity, revealing emotions such as pride, authority, energy, endeavor, sadness, tenderness and humor. 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 zebra, had provided interesting subject material, however, her fascination with the smallest of living things had endured. "I like the way ants move in lines particularly. I love to watch the movement," she remarked. 

Madamombe observed each of her subjects as closely as possible and then carved from a strong mental image of 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. Madamombe’s major works include The Birth, Dancing Woman, Growing Well and My Wedding Day.