Carving the nation: Zimbabwean sculptors and the contested heritage of aesthetics

Abstract

Amid the world's highest inflation, political chaos, rampant corruption, regular public health disasters, extraordinary personal suffering, and international critique, Zimbabwe still retains a cultural life struggling to survive. Indeed, one particular product of this southern African country retains international allure: its art. Zimbabwean stone sculptors are well known in international art markets, and prior to the current troubles, tourists and art dealers alike were their key consumers and disseminators. With its extraordinary international success, it is appropriate to speak of a Zimbabwean stone sculpture movement. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.