Items Similar to 'Preoccupied' original signed Shona stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Colleen Madamombe'Preoccupied' original signed Shona stone sculpture by Colleen Madamombe2003
2003
About the Item
'Preoccupied' 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. Here, she stands, almost leaning backward. She holds one of her arms downwards as the other reaches up toward her hair in a gesture of preoccupation. 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
21 x 11 x 12 inches
145lbs
Signed along the base on the reverse
Acquired directly from the artist (C-57)
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: 21 in (53.34 cm)Width: 11 in (27.94 cm)Depth: 12 in (30.48 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Excellent condition with no chips or signs of wear.
- Gallery Location:Milwaukee, WI
- Reference Number:Seller: 11649g1stDibs: LU60537025842
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.
About the Seller
4.9
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 1966
1stDibs seller since 2017
432 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 3 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Milwaukee, WI
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View All'Protected by Spirits' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu
By Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Protected by Spirits' is an original springstone sculpture by the Zimbabwean artists Tendai Marowa and Stanley Chideu. The sculpture presents a tall and curving face with a ring-sha...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
'Father Christmas' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu
By Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Father Christmas,' an original springstone sculpture by the Zimbabwean artists Tendai Marowa and Stanley Chideu, would make an excellent holiday gift...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
'Honeymoon' original stone Shona sculpture by Marowa & Chideu
By Tendai Marowa & Stanley Chideu
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Honeymoon' is an original springstone sculpture by the Zimbabwean artists Tendai Marowa and Stanley Chideu. The sculpture presents a tall and elegant figure. The figure is highly st...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
"Triplets (C-25), " Black Serpentine Stone Sculpture signed by Colleen Madamombe
By Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Triplets (C-25)" is an original black serpentine sculpture by Colleen Madamombe. The artist signed the piece. This artwork features three women in large, textured dresses, gesturing and standing close to one another.
9 1/2" x 13" x 8" art
Colleen Madamombe was born in 1964 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Considered to be among the finest new talents from Zimbabwe, she has won the award of Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe for the past three consecutive years, and is quickly becoming an established figure of the Second Generation of Zimbabwean stone...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
'Playing Sisters' original Shona stone sculpture signed by Colleen Madamombe
By Colleen Madamombe
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Playing Sisters' is an original black serpentine sculpture by the celebrated second generation Shona artist Colleen Madamombe. The sculpture presents a character common to Madamombe...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
'Stork Bird' original opal serpentine Shona sculpture signed by Jonathan Nhete
Located in Milwaukee, WI
'Stork Bird' is an original opal serpentine stone sculpture signed by the contemporary Zimbabwean artist Jonathan Nhete. The artist presents in this sculpture a highly abstracted figure of a bird, the long beak and eye of which emerges shining and polished from within a heroic almond-shaped loop formed by the bird's wings. Such abstracted forms recall traditional African sculpture as well as the work of modern masters like Constantin Brancusi who looked to non-Western sources for inspiration. The sculpture's surface is brought to a beautiful polish, allowing the green of the serpentine to create a glittering depth as immense as a lake or river.
opal serpentine
32 x 19 x 6 1/2 inches, sculpture
2.75 x 12 x 12 inches, concrete and marble base (included at request of buyer)
34 .75 x 19 x 12 inches, overall
85 lbs
signed "Nhete Jonathan" along bottom edge on reverse
with hole drilled in foot to accommodate 0.5-inch steel support rod
overall good condition; brown stain at base of bird neck; some minor scratches
Jonathan Nhete was born on November 16, 1972 into a family of 5 boys. He decided to explore in the art industry and was fascinated by the works made by a local artist Dudzai Mushawepwere...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
You May Also Like
Alia Mihi Mens Est Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Nude Boy Marble Stone
By Wim van der Kant
Located in Utrecht, NL
Alia Mihi Mens Est Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Nude Boy Marble Stone
This sculpture need to be ordered. We will cast a brand new one for you. The edition is 4 pieces. The next scu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Luctatio Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Marble Stone
By Wim van der Kant
Located in Utrecht, NL
Luctatio Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Marble Stone
This sculpture need to be ordered. We will cast a brand new one for you. The edition is 8 (plus 4...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Finis Saltationis Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Marble Stone
By Wim van der Kant
Located in Utrecht, NL
Finis Saltationis Bronze Sculpture Nude Boy Male Figure Marble Stone
This sculpture need to be ordered. We will cast a b...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nude Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - Hat
Located in Paris, IDF
Artificial stone & glass nickel
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone
Georgian Contemporary Sculpture by Erekle Tsuladze - Madonna
Located in Paris, IDF
Artificial stone & stainless steel
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Stainless Steel
Limited Edition 12/12 Quirky Bronze Sculpture with Shiny Patina "Hello Creature"
Located in Cape Town, ZA
Edition number 12/12. A quirky sculpture with a shiny bronze finish, standing on a 17 x 17 cm white granite base.
Davies creates playful sculptures that celebrate the courage it tak...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Bronze
