zimbabwe

Looks like I am headed to Zimbabwe, at least virtually through the Challenege of Travel Blog Hop!

Let the research begin!  I seriously love research.   I would jump at the chance to go back to college!

The flag was adopted April 18, 1980. Green, yellow, red and black are the official colors of the ZANU PF, and Pan-Africanism. The white triangle represents peace, and its black edge the country's new leaders. 

The Soapstone Bird is the national emblem, and the red star symbolizes an international outlook. 


I also did a little research about the influence Zimbabwe has had on artists past and present.  Many European artists like Modigliani and Picasso were greatly inspired by African art and surprisingly stone art from Zimbabwe.  Evidence is surfacing that Picasso was also influenced by Shona sculpture.

Shona sculpture is widely accepted as the most important art movement to emerge from Africa in the twentieth century.

Shona sculptors are very talented indigenous people of Zimbabwe. They are visionaries who are inspired by both traditional mythology (I am fascinated by mythology) and as well as their own creative expressions. Their stone sculptures reveal the African link and their strong mystical heritage ties to ancestral-spirits guides. The Shona sculptors believe that the rocks are shaped by the will of the spirit within the rock and that the spirit transforms the rock during the sculpturing process. Inspired by spiritual beliefs, folk lore and modern life, Shona sculpture is a unique form of artistic expression. The stone creations, which are expressions of Zimbabweans’ thoughts and philosophies, captivate beauty and mystery in addition to spirituality.

Other images from Zimbabwe.

My background is in Ceramics so naturally I have an affinity for the pottery.  It will be fun to see how I am influenced by Zimbabwe!

To be continued.............