Capturing an ancient tradition of art in its authentic places of origin

A heritage collection of photographs taken at a time when these ancient art forms were still being made and used amongst more remote villages and homesteads of the Shona, Ndebele and Tonga cultures of Zimbabwe. A time when art objects still played a part in expressing cultural values and ideals.

Taken over a period of three decades by the artist Duncan Wylie, the photographs capture how widely art featured in daily life, expressed in sacred and functional art forms. An art that was becoming harder to find as time passed. In his words, this is ‘above all a work of transmission, and a valuable insight for the non-African world towards a deeper appreciation of African art forms, and a wider perception of the possibilities of art; a key to a world few have experienced.’

A legacy of art as part of daily life, ancient root of the vivid and socially perceptive contemporary art of Zimbabweans today, both at home and across the diaspora.