This exhibition, a collaboration between Oriel College and the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership, features four original stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists. The exhibition discusses the colonial campaign led by Cecil Rhodes in Zimbabwe, charts the history of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in Oxford, and shines a light on the tradition of Zimbabwean stone sculpture. Rhodes studied at Oriel College.
Made out of Zimbabwean serpentine and springstone, the four sculptures offer a unique artistic perspective on Rhodes’s impact on the people of Zimbabwe. They were chosen by a judging panel from a total of 110 submitted to a competition organised by Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership (OZAP) for artists at Chitungwiza Arts Centre, near Harare. One of the sculptures is the winning submission, ‘Blindfolded justice’ by Wallace Mkankha, a 34-year-old artist from Chitungwiza.
Lord Mendoza CBE, Provost of Oriel College, said: “I’m proud of our collaboration with Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership to explore the history that Oriel College shares with Zimbabwe. The new exhibition explores Cecil Rhodes’s legacy, both in southern Africa and here in Oxford. I’m delighted that it features four original works of Zimbabwean stone sculpture. We’re looking forward to publicly displaying the four works in the UK for the first time.”
The main exhibition text is written by Professor William Beinart, Rhodes Professor of Race Relations from 1997 - 2015. The curator of the exhibition is Richard Pantlin, founder of OZAP. Richard notes that “The response in Zimbabwe to the competition was inspiring. The four selected artworks and artist descriptions reflect on the effects of British colonialism there and celebrate the survival and resilience of the indigenous peoples. OZAP hopes the exhibition will stimulate constructive debate on the historic ties and shared future between our two countries.”
The exhibition is open daily and free of charge.
Photo by Nehemia Nyakudanga of Rare Photography