(20 Apr 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe – 4 March 2025
1. Close of sculpture called "Blindfold Justice" by artist Wallace Mkankha chosen for exhibition at Oriel College Oxford University
2. Mkankha polishing exhibit
3. Various of 110 artworks submitted to competition organised by the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre
4. Line of sculptures including depictions of people oppressed and in chains
5. Close of sculpture of pregnant woman carrying vessel on her head
6. Various of Richard Pantlin, Founder of Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership, looking at competition sculptures
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Pantlin, Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership:
“We got the support first of the church actually in Oxford, the University church, the church for the whole of the university. They offered to have an exhibition there where the centrepiece would be a sculpture from here, plus we’ll have about ten posters explaining the history of Cecil Rhodes to educate the young people in the UK and elsewhere and we have many visitors to Oxford from around the world, to educate them about some of that colonial history and to get them to reflect on the impact of the British Empire, particularly Cecil Rhodes’ impact in Zimbabwe.”
8. Close of sculpture showing man on a horse with dog chasing a black figure
9. Various of sculpture featuring a chained skeleton
10. Various of sculpture of a group of Black people chained
11. Various of sculpture of man’s head protruding from stone
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Pantlin, Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership:
“We were going to have a third piece that was to be designed online between young people in East Oxford and young people here in Chitungwiza using recycled material to represent the future, but that was too ambitious and would have required maybe £200,000, so my hope is that one day it could happen but for now we have just accepted something very small to make a start really and to do something."
13. Various of man carving mare and foal
14. Various of other sculptors at work
15. Close of a carving of a buffalo
16. Various of Tendai Gwaravaza, Chairman of Chitungwiza Art Centre, talking
17. SOUNDBITE (England) Tendai Gwaravaza, Chitungwiza Art Centre:
"When things became to be very challenging was when we took back our land from the whites, what happened was many of our customers were friends of the farmers, so that’s where the problem originated from. So the tourism then shrinks, then also our business shrinks, so the only solution that we have now is to get out there to market ourselves and sell our sculptures. If we don’t do it ourselves, no one will do it for us.”
18. Various of sculptors cheering the competition winner Mkankha
19. SOUNDBITE (Shona) Wallace Mkankha, artist:
“This competition will boost our business. Buyers abroad will now see our work and buy directly from the artists.”
20. Various of Mkankha standing with his sculpture and picking it up
21. Various of sculpture of a family of elephants
22. Wide pan of sculptures
23. Close of sculptures
STORYLINE:
LEADIN:
Sculptures illustrating Black oppression under British rule in Africa will be showcased at Oxford University to highlight the imperialist legacy of Cecil John Rhodes.
The art works are from a competition of Zimbabwean sculptors who want to raise the debate over Rhodes’ impact on the former colony.
STORYLINE:
This sculpture "Blindfold Justice" will soon be exhibited at Oxford University’s Oriel College.
Now they’re the sovereign nations of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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