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ZimSculpt Exhibit Dallas, TX, 2021
Trend Magazine Online™
Article July 2021
Part 1 of 2
#zimsculpt #dallas

By Jay Whipple

Trend Magazine Online™

They're back!

Re-published from a previous edition with 2021 updates...

ZimSculpt Exhibit Dallas TX 2021 Pic
This interview materialized purely through happenstance and my innate quality of having a nose for interesting information. As was the case when I recently picked up a copy of a local slick full-color magazine and discovered a story idea while thumbing through its pages. Page 21 featured a larger-than-life Egyptian-like carved stone with the caption ZimSculpt underneath. My interest really peaked after I read that two of the Zimbabwean artists were currently in town and would be showing off their skills at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens (DSBG) in Belmont, NC, and about a 40-minute drive from Charlotte, NC. The first chance that I got I fired off an email to the key media personnel at DSBG and quickly received a response from Mr. Jim Hoffman – their director of marketing. He accepted my request and arranged for me to meet one of the curators and artists that Friday afternoon on July 25, 2014.

ZimSculpt Exhibit Dallas TX 2021 PicAlthough I have driven out to this site before I had never actually entered the property in my nearly three decades of living in the area. It is in a remote serene location that has ties with the once thriving textile industry derived from cotton. In fact, nearby Gastonia once boasted the largest indoor textile manufacturing plant in the United States. My interview with Mr. Joseph Croisette began promptly after my arrival at about 3:40 PM. He is the French husband of the British founder of ZimScuplt Vivienne (Pronounced like Vivian) who established the company in 2000 after being wowed by the art at a London exhibition. The captivating art motivated her to travel down to Zimbabwe where she spent two intriguing weeks in awe of the unique form of art and the stone artist. In fact, the namesake of their country means Great Stone House. Prior to that Vivienne had promoted national and international artists in the UK but had never experienced such raw talent as with these African artists.

ZimSculpt Exhibit Dallas TX 2021 Pic She met Joseph in Zimbabwe in 2007 -- he was there admiring the African art as well. They married and thus joined creative and entrepreneurial forces to introduce ZimSculpt to a worldwide audience. They now represent over 200 sculptors and boast the largest Zimbabwean collection and extensive artist biography database online. Their company is based in Harare and together they hand pick each work of art that is on display and I learned from my interview that Joseph (Along with the artists) plan and physically place each of the more than 100 works of art and African plants; using a forklift for the heavier items – some weighing up to a ton (2,000 pounds). I also got a chance to take a personal tour with Mr. Hoffman as my guide and will share what I learned below. Mrs. Croisette could not make this trip because she was expecting the couple’s third child in a few weeks. She did, however, call to check in while I was there for this interview.


Most of the stones used come from the geological family of Serpentine and through hundreds of millions of years (Per their brochure) have hardened. The best artists prefer Springstone which is of the hardest variety. Most of the stones used are mined by hand and each sculptor has their own personal style. Everything piece is created via free-form which means that no drawings, sketches, computers, etc… are used. The art is first created using hammers, points, chisels, rasps, and chasing hammers; before being finished with wet and dry sandpapers that takes several hours, and is known as washing. The stone is heated and a natural floor wax is applied to any area that requires a high polish after being soaked and allowed to cool and then buffed to a high gleam.


Annual Juneteenth Celebration Galveston African-American Museum PicEach year the ZimSculpt organization selects a few promising artists to travel and be featured overseas on tour while providing their travel and lodging expenses. The artists earn income from the sale of the works of art created while on tour and gratuity for their demonstrations. Profits from the organization are reinvested in the purchase of new works of art, travel expenses for the artist, and to market Zimbabwean talent around the world. Five percent of sales from their website are donated to the local community-based Inter-Country People Aid (IPA) organization.

The artists featured this go round are Mr. Patrick Sephani (34, 3rd Generation) who learned his trade via an apprenticeship -- starting at age 11 -- with his mentor Mr. Tapfuma. Next, he trained under Ms. Agnes Nyanhongo whose father Claude Nyanhongo is one of the country’s esteemed 1st Generation (70+ years old) and most famous sculptors. Some of her works have been purchased by Ms. Oprah Winfrey and the late Dr. Maya Angelou. Patrick is now passing his trade onto his eight-year-old son and other young apprentices. He is quite outgoing and personable, speaks perfect English and enjoys dining on a meal that we would consider grits. We can shake hands on that. Passmore Mupindiko (38, 3rd Generation) often sculpts stylized birds but began making functional items like bowls, cutting boards, and spoons. He began carving stone after joining the Tengenenge (Pronounced like “Tange-ga-nange”) artist community – one of the oldest and largest that supports some 300 local African artists that display some 11,000 open-air sculptures, and includes a visitor’s center and guest house. He is a bit shy at first, speaks English well, and seems to prefer to work alone.

Annual Juneteenth Celebration Galveston African-American Museum PicMr. Dominic Benhura (46, 3rd Generation) will be in residence from August 26September 1, 2014, and is known for his boxy, whimsical figures. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gallery in Harare and his works may be seen around the globe to include the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, the United Nations Development program, and the Atlanta airport. Now, let’s hear what Mr. Croisette and Mr. Hoffman had to say about this unique exhibit of raw talent…

This year's ZimSculpt Exhibit in Dallas, TX:
  • Where? The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (409-392-0317; Pete Henley) at the Old Central Cultural Center on Tuesday June 1st, at 7 PM
  • ;
  • When? Saturday May 1 thru Sunday August 8, 2021, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, TX, 75218, 9 AM - 5 PM Daily;
  • What? More than 100 hand-selected exquisite sculptures artfully displayed throughout the garden;
  • Cost? $15 ;
  • Reserve tickets here!;
Continued Next Month>>>

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