Zimbabwe Artists Project

Tanaka, Gwinyai, Tariro and Wirimai are playing netball whilst at school.  Wirimai put his school bag down because he is playing netball.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.     (1 panel, approx. 1′ x 1′, green & black)

A boy named Takunda is handing a lovetoken to Rumayi’s aunt.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.      (approx. 1′ x 1′, green & black)

Mbuya Mungure is digging for some medicine for her pregnant daughter Chipo.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.      (approx. 1′ x 1′, khaki & black)

The two are coming from the bush from fetching some firewood.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (approx. 1′ x 1′, rust and black)

Mrs. Johwa is a hard-working woman.  She grows some vegetables and she walks door-to-door selling them.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.          (approx. 1′ x 1′, maroon & black)

Mr. Mukura thought to make a sleigh for others to easily collect their maize.  He was taught this by his father.  He is now collecting his maize in the fields while other maize is ripening in the field.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket in the appliqué.    (2 panels, approx. 1′ x 2′, maroon & black)

1.    “Good morning, Mrs. Kapiya.  Where are you going this early morning?” asked Mrs. Manyange.  “I am going to borrow some clay pots at Mrs. Mugadza,” replied Mrs. Kapiya, shaking hands.

2.    “Good morning, Mrs. Mugadza.  Please, I am not going to sit down, but may you please lend me some of your clay pots.  I want to cook traditional African beer for sale so that I can raise money for my children’s school fee.”  “Go and look at the clay pots in my kitchen hut,” said Mrs. Mugadza, sitting under a tree pointing to the hut.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (2 panels, approx. 1′ x 2′, maroon & black)

1.    “Mother-in-law, I am going to the bush to fetch some firewood.  You have to check your grandchild Tapiwa.  I left him sleeping in the kitchen hut,” said mai (mother of) Tapiwa, holding the pad for her head.  “It is okay, mai.  Please first take these clay pots into the hut before you go,” said mother-in-law.

2.    Mai Tapiwa’s mother-in-law is pounding her mealie-rice (coarsely-ground cornmeal) while her daughter-in-law is coming from a deep well, carrying her clay pot of water.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden on the appliqué.  (approx. 1′ x 2′, green and black)

1.    Mai (Mrs.) Mugadza and Mai Chitsike are coming from the bush with their bags full of hacha (wild fruits from the tree (Parinari curatellifolia), and they fetched some firewood.

2.    Mbuya (grandmother) Mugadza is holding a big cup of maheu (a homebrewed nonalcoholic drink) made of hacha.  She is talking to her daughter-in-law.  “Come with the baby.  I want to give her maheu.”

3.    Mai Mugadza is teaching her friend Mai Chitsike to make some cakes of hacha.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.     (approx. 1′ x 3′, maroon & black)

Most of the animals were starving because all the fruits except the hacha fruits (wild fruits of the tree Parinari curatellifolia) were dried up.  The hachas were mostly eaten by donkeys who had become known as the owners of the fruit.

Baboons, monkeys and giraffes came to borrow hacha from the donkey, but the donkey refused.  Each animal had to negotiate with the donkey.  Giraffe said, “Because I am tall I will take ripe fruits from the tree top.”  Baboons and monkeys said they would climb and pick ripe fruits. Donkey agreed.

Some days later hare came to donkey and asked where he could get something to eat.  Donkey replied, “I will bring you the fruit.  You are so clever that if I show you the tree you will say it’s yours and the rest of us will get nothing.”

Now most of the animals are going to drink water from the river because they are full of hacha fruits.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (approx. 1′ x 3′, maroon & black)

1.    You have to welcome someone from a distance by greeting her and carrying her parcel and putting it into the hut. “Hello Ambuya (grandmother).  I have been seeing you while you are at a distance,” said Mrs. Shonge, welcoming her.  “Thank you very much muzukuru (niece).  Here I am,” said ambuya.

2.    When there is a visitor at your home, you don’t give her food while she is sitting outside the hut.  “The lunch is ready, mother-in-law.  Let us get inside the kitchen hut and enjoy it,” said the daughter-in-law.  “O yes, I am coming,” replied her mother-in-law.

3.    When a visitor is going back to her home, you have to take her halfway, carrying her parcel, like Mrs. Jowa is doing for Mrs. Mungure.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (3 panels, approx. 1′ x 3′, maroon & black)

1.    The women are in the bush tying the bundles of firewood.  “You must tie them very strong because if you don’t do that some of them will fall down,” said mai (mother of) Susan.

2.    The women are gong to the grinding mill but now they are tired so they are taking a break.  They saw a nest of a bird with two eggs.  “Be careful – don’t touch the eggs.  You might break them and disappoint the bird,” said Mrs. Mungure.

3.    Mrs. Kapiya wants to buy a clay pot from Mrs. Gowo.  “Is this the only clay pot you have?” she asked.  “I want a small one.”  “Just come tomorrow.  I will make one for you,” replied Mrs. Gowo.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.     (3 panels, maroon & black)

Chipo and Tendai were in love for a long time. So one day they met each other at a certain mountain. In that mountain they were discussing about their future plans. They were also discussing about a visit to their aunt. So they visited Chipo’s aunt on a certain day to exchange love tokens. Tendai gave Chipo a hat to show that he loves Chipo and also Chipo was holding a dress to show that she loves Tendai. Then Tendai planned about their wedding and they also have their best girl and they celebrated their wedding party listening to a radio.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.      (4 panels, approx. 2′x2′, maroon & black)

Mrs. Mukondo is at her home, doing her washing and preparing for her journey together with her husband.  The next morning, they wake up early and are on the road to visit their grandmother in the village.  While on the road, Mr. Mukondo sees some bees flying around a tree, and he climbs up the tree and sees a beehive.  He started collecting some honey.  Now they are sitting down, enjoying eating the honey.  They are very happy because they were walking a long way without food.  They stand up and start walking the journey.  They reach their grandmother’s home, and see her sitting down welcoming them.  They were very happy to reach their granny’s home place.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (approx. 2′ x 2′, green and black)

(In Shona culture, people welcome back to the homestead the spirits of ancestors around a year after they have died.  This ceremony is called “chenura.”)

1.    Two women are brewing traditional beer of the dead.

2.    They are now going to the place where they buried the person so they can tell him, “Here is your beer.”  One woman is carrying a pot full of beer on her head.

3.    The man is kneeling under a tree.  Near the tree there is a pot full of beer.  He is giving a speech to the ancestral spirits.

4.    They are now drinking beer and dancing and beating a drum.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (2′ x 2′, green & black)

In 1989 my brother Innocent was married to Epiphania.  They had two children.  But my brother passed away in 1996.  After that his widow decided to have some boyfriend, and after six months she surrendered her children to Ambuya (grandmother) Shonge, her mother-in-law and my mother.

1.    Orpah and Nyradzo are saying to their grandmother, “We are going to play fish-fish (jump rope) with our friend’s gogo (grandmother).”

2.    Gogo Shonge is winnowing some groundnuts.

3.    She is preparing to grind some peanut butter to sell so that she can get some money to buy soap, sugar and salt.

4.    Orpah went to mai (mother of) Tima.  “Gogo said if you have salt, please give us.  We don’t have salt and she is preparing to grind some peanut butter so we can sell to the teachers at Mukute School.

5.    I am coming from town (Harare) to take Orpah and Nyaradzo to Harare so they can go to school.  I am talking with my mother.

6.    Now I am on the way to the bus stop to Harare with my two nieces Orpah and Nyaradzo.

Now they are going to school.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket in the appliqué.    (approx. 2′ x 3′, maroon & navy)

1.    Mrs. Mungure is holding the new baby while Yollanda is very happy to see the new baby.  She has a cup of maheu (a homebrewed nonalcoholic drink).

2.    Her daughter-in-law is fetching some water from a shallow well.  She is making the ring to put on her head to carry the pot.

3.    Mrs. Mungure is washing some clothes.

4.    Ambuya (grandmother) is talking to her grandchild Ruwarashe.  Ruwarashe is saying to her grandmother, “I am going to play fish-fish (jump rope) with my friends, Gogo (granny).”  Gogo is sewing a pitikoti (petticoat).

5.    Sekuru (grandfather) and Gogo are dancing after drinking seven days beer (homemade traditional beer).

6.    Mrs. Mungure is cooking a big pot of sadza (thick porridge).

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.  (approx. 2′ x 3′, khaki & black)

1.    Grace is greeting her brother Lloyd.  He is coming from drinking beer.

2.    Mrs. Mungure and her daughter-in-law are going to church.

3.    Mr. and Mrs. Mungure are drinking maheu (a homebrewed nonalcoholic drink) while their daughter Yollanda is coming from the village having sold some vegetables.

4.    Mai (Mrs.) Mungure is giving her daughter-in-law clothing for her expected baby.  She is very happy.

5.    Yollanda is winnowing some maize.  She wants to pound it to make mealie rice (coarsely pounded maize).

6.    She is styling her sister-in-law’s hair who is crocheting a doily.

This story was handwritten by the artist.  The original is tucked into a pocket hidden in the appliqué.     (approx. 2′ x 3′, maroon & black)