Native Woman

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Colleen Madamombe
Native Woman
1990

About the Item

Colleen Madamombe (1964-2009) Zimbabwe A black carved serpentine sculpture of a robust African woman. The Artist used the oxidized portion of the stone to accentuate portions of the dress. A whimsical figure by this well acclaimed Zimbabwean artist. The sculpture measures approximately 16.5" H x 11.5" W x 9.5" D . It is signed in the back and has the numbers 31912 inscribed on the right hand. Very good overall condition. Colleen Madamombe (born 1964, died 31-May-2009) was a Zimbabwean sculptor. Colleen Madamombe, born in 1964 in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe following independence in 1980) received her secondary education at school in Kutama, between 1979 and 1984. She obtained a Diploma in Fine Arts at the BAT Workshop School of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe from 1985–1986 and in 1986 she married the Zimbabwean sculptor Fabian Madamombe, with whom she later had seven children. Initially, she specialized in drawing and painting but in 1987 she went to help her husband in his sculpting at Chapungu Sculpture Park[1] where she started stone carving. Colleen became close friends with fellow female sculptor, Agnes Nyanhongo, and rapidly developed her own style of sculpting in the three years she stayed full-time at Chapungu. While some of her early work was inspired by observation of ants, bees, butterflies and caterpillars, Colleen became best known for her depiction of women and their Shona culture. She illustrated many themes of womanhood: women at work, harvesting, carrying water or children and giving birth. Her short, stout female figures quickly became a symbol of womanhood in Zimbabwe and were adopted by the Zimbabwean International Film Festival as the trophy award for all winning women entrants. She won the award “Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe” three times. Colleen worked predominantly in Springstone (a local type of hard serpentine rock much used by Zimbabwean sculptors), but also used Opal stone (a softer variety of serpentine), for example for her major work “The Birth”, now part of the Chapungu permanent collection. She used both rough and polished stone in her sculpture, often leaving parts of the surface of the stone in its raw oxidised form to provide colour for hair or clothes, while creating expressive faces, arms and hands in the fully polished black stone. Skirts would sometimes be chiselled to a rough grey surface, while other clothing such as a blouse was stippled to a finer texture. The overall effect and subject-matter was instantly recognisable.[2][3] Many of Colleen’s works were exhibited and sold outside Zimbabwe. For example, they were included in travelling exhibitions of the work of Chapungu artists which were shown in Botanical Gardens in the UK and US. The catalogue “Chapungu: Culture and Legend – A Culture in Stone” for the exhibition at Kew Gardens in 2000 depicts Colleen’s sculptures “Growing Well” (a mother and baby in Springstone, 1997) on p. 28-29 and “Dancing Woman” (Opal Stone, 1993) on p. 64-65.[4] Works in that exhibition included almost all the well-known “first-generation” of Zimbabwean sculptors, for example Joram Mariga, Henry Munyaradzi and Bernard Takawira. In this context, Colleen is usually described as being of the “second generation” but the terms are imprecise, as discussed by Celia Winter-Irving.[5] In 2004, Colleen and Fabian Madamobe's sculpture was included in an exhibition at the Botanical Garden in Berlin. The catalogue illustrates her life-sized works “Playing Ball” and “Mother's Care”.[6] Through determination and aptitude Colleen won world acclaim. She died on May 31, 2009 and is buried near her rural home in Zvimba. An exhibition about her life and works was held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in March 2010.

Creator:
Colleen Madamombe (1964 - 2009, Shona, Zimbabwean)
Creation Year:
1990
Dimensions:
Height: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)Depth: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)
Medium:
Stone
Movement & Style:
Folk Art
Period:
1990-1999
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Los Angeles, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU394443741

Shop All Colleen Madamombe

Colleen Madamombe

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.