Catch them young
The mother and child love motif is central in Shona sculpture. The artist went one step further and tried to show the passing on of social values which occurs in all families. The mother and child support each other in dealing with the challenges of life.

Zulu Warrior
The short, sharp stabbing spear became his hallmark. It shaped the history and demography of Southern Africa as the Zulu Kingdom's birth pangs spread across the region; it became impressed on the minds of many people. The contorted forehead and the burning contemplative look capture the mood of the period and fossilize it in stone for eternity.

Masai Woman
The Masai are some of the few African Tribes still determined to keep their traditional way of life. The mother wears traditional regalia. Her child is strapped to her back, and this helps to bond their relationship. The skin bag in her hands contains the charms and medicine needed to see the child through her infancy.

New Wave Hairstyle
Brainwaves of creativity seems to have gripped the new generation of Shona sculptors like Chriss Chironga. Not only are they following the fashion in various aspects of life but they are also setting the trend. The hair style exhibited by the sculpture is a typical example.

Mother and Child
How we come into being and the bond between mother and child is a rich vein for exploration by many Shona sculptors. Not only does it show the strong bond between mother and child, but it also explores how the mother imparts her values to the child.

Vahosi (First Wife)
Hierarchy exists in the rational polygamous Shona marriages. The first wife assumes a special position in the family and has authority over the other wives. Her dressing with the use of beads and earrings all helps to show her position of authority.

Lovers' call
When mating time comes, a strong urge or instinctive drive the birds to do the extraordinary in order to mate. In the sculpture the bird is trying to answer nature's call by singing and showing of its chest so as to attract females. Through the birds posture, the artist not only tries to project form, but also sound.

Elephant (Mother and Child)
The environment in which some of the Shona sculptors grew up has a bearing on what they sculpt. The theme of mother and child is explored through the elephant in this piece.
The mother elephant is very protective of its young. The cuddling and touching all show the strong bond which exists between mother and child.
By exploring this theme the artist is able to show the similar characteristics between man-kind and wild animals and he should do all he can to conserve them.

Brain Waves
Waves of change, waves of fashion, and waves of creativity impinge on the artist as he sculpts. In this piece Chriss Chironga tries to show the forces at play as he does his work. As a result the piece does not only show worldly pressure on the artist, but also the result of the work of the artist on the world.

Let there Be Peace
The dove symbolizes peace and in its resting posture stands for absolute peace. Shona mythology has it that where love relationships are turbulent and there is some crying the dove becomes restless. The sculpture would demand and symbolise harmony and peace wherever it is displayed.

The San
The San people are some of the African tribes trying to maintain their traditional way of life in the face of a modernising world. Recently (2007) they won a court battle to live in what the Botswana Government had designated a game reserve in the Kalahari Desert. Hunting is at the center of their survival and they do it with great dexterity and skill. Great team work is required in their hunts and these skills are represented in the sculpture.

Bitter Chill
Weather is often the subject of discussion when human beings meet, but in this case it has also become the subject of sculpture. The man is feeling so cold that his legs have sunk into the stomach for warmth. He tries to cover his whole body using his arms. The cold has also “weathered” his face.

Generations
Future generations and regeneration ensure continuity. In the Shona spiritual world present generations can co-exist with past generations because the spirits of the dead can be summoned by spirit mediums to communicate with the living. The spirits are also able to look into the future. In this way the past, the present and the future can be compressed into one crystal. Tawanda Shoniwa managed to portray this in his sculpture "Generations".

Cleansing Ceremony (Bira)
Shona sculpture embodies a lot of spiritualism from the religious beliefs of its people. In their belief, the dead come in the form of spirit mediums and converse with the living. These spirits are able to give guidance to the living; which happens especially during the cleansing ceremony or Bira. Mbira music, beer, meat and other foods are prepared and consumed. It is during such times that the Shona are able to transcend the bounds of time by being able to compress the past and the future into one.    

Mother's Womb
The motif of the loving bond between mother and child runs deep in Shona sculpture. This is the theme explored by Tafi .The deep embrace and curdle shows great care and love between the two.  

Lovers
Fused by love, they become one flesh sharing one heart of love. The eyes and there composure all show a pair enjoying the bliss of love. Through love, they stand on one base.        

Split Personality
Human character is so complex and impinged by so many forces that it is not easy to identify a single solid character or personality. Because of these forces most people tend to develop a split character and personality. Esau Karuru explores this theme through his sculpture.

Royal Gaze
The ostrich feather combined with round sea shells symbolises royalty. The man has a content gaze which, together with wisdom, comes with age. Royalty and age command respect and thus become a rich subject for sculpting. Sculpting forms part of royal praising.

Sangoma
The Sangoma is associated with both spiritual and medicinal powers. He or she is held in high esteem in Shona culture.

Dancer
Dancing is a way of escaping from oneself. In traditional Shona culture trance dance is preceded by spiritual posses- sion during important clan ceremonies.