Title: ‘Circles of Life’
Material: Lemon Opalstone
Artist: Stanford Chanakire
Country: Zimbabwe
Dimensions: 19 1/2'' height x 7'' width x 5'' depth
Description: Stanford was born in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, in 1984. He is
the fourth born in a family of seven. Stanford started sculpting at the age
of fourteen while he was still at school because he was interested in art.
He found he had a natural talent and when he left school six months later,
due to financial constraints within the family, he decided to become a
professional sculptor. He works very hard, sculpting large pieces during the
day and working on smaller pieces at home during the evening.
He has never had a formal apprenticeship and is entirely self-taught.
Amazingly for such a young artist, he not only helps support his family but
also gives 10% of his income from sculpting to local charities for AIDS
orphans and the disadvantaged in the community.
Stanford's work is outstandingly beautiful and he is a very popular artist.
His natural talent shines through in every graceful and fluid piece; the attention
to detail in the finish is always perfect, and he has the potential to become one
of Zimbabwe's most famous sculptors of the future.
His natural ability and wonderful talent has taken him to new heights in the
Shona Sculpture community. Stanford is a very respected artist and is known
world wide for his beautiful abstract sculptures. He has exhibited his work in the
USA, Germany, England, the Netherlands, and in South Africa.
Stanford’s forte is in creating abstract sculptures, usually quite large because, as
Stanford, describes, ‘They (abstract forms) can take note of all my ideas and
can give the right impression or movement that I may want to express.’
Stanford says he usually sees the piece in his mind before he begins sculpting,
but there are those times when it develops as he sculpts. When asked if he had
a favorite time to sculpt his reply was, ‘I don’t have a favorite time–it’s when
I have the feeling–that’s my time to sculpt.’ Stanford is married with one child, a boy.
