UK: Newby Hall and Gardens hosts 20th Matombo exhibition

By Gazette Herald

UNITED KINGDOM: A collection of African contemporary art is now on display at a Ripon venue.

Newby Hall and Gardens is currently hosting its twentieth annual Matombo exhibition, of Zimbabwean Shona sculpture, with the display to be at the gardens until the end of September.

Curated by Orlando Compton, whose family owns Newby Hall, the exhibition features more than 100 sculptures by established and up-and-coming artists from Zimbabwe.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to witness artists-in-residence, Dudzai Mushawepwere and Chenjerai Chiripanyanga, demonstrating sculpting techniques.

Much of the work on display at the exhibition was crafted in the serpentine stone quarried in, and around, Mushawepwere’s home city of Harare.

Mr Compton said: “Zimbabwe continues to go through difficult times, and this is our 20th year of supporting Zimbabwean artists by showcasing the rich artistic culture of the Shona people.”

The exhibition is included with tickets to Newby Hall and Gardens.

More information is available at www.newbyhall.com and www.matombo.com.