Entranced by the Mbira - Loveland, CO - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

" Born in 1969 in Harare, Zimbabwe, Gift Muchenje never received “formal” art training, though his brother, Cosmas introduced him to stone sculpture. In 1989, after only one year of assisting brother Cosmas to learn some of the fundamentals of finishing, before attempting the task of carving, Gift began to work independently to tackle the difficult art of carving.

While often working with a more traditional style, he also finds a freedom in working in the abstract as well. A great admirer of the female form he also works quite extensively with the human form. Intrigued by a form that is “peaceful and graceful,” characteristics that he also finds amusing as well as captivating , are those that he successfully captures in stone.

Inspiration comes to Gift in a variety of way; at times something he has seen, at times his vivid imagination, and at times a piece of stone that he is “drawn to”. He is careful in the selection of the stone - attracted particularly to pieces that have a strong natural volume medium in size. As a result, his sculptures often have a full, rounded quality that has emerged naturally ; dictated by the natural form of the stone, with little influence or change from the artist. He works mainly on lepidolite, leopard stone, green opal and serpentine stones." (from (visit link) )

Mbira (visit link) and (visit link)

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Entranced by the Mbira Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Gift Muchenje Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 2004 Materials used: Opal Stone Location: Loveland Civic Center

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/23/2016 LT_Dream visited it