The Sunday News
Hazel Marimbiza, Sunday News Correspondent
Lawyer and stone sculptor David Ngwerume’s child marriage inspired art continuously receives worldwide applause due to its exceptional way of replicating the problems of child marriages facing Zimbabwe.
Recently the 40-year-old sculptor who resides in the eastern Harare suburb of Greendale, was commissioned by the African Union (AU) to make a piece that will be on display at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ngwerume spends much of his time carving messages which reflect society’s concerns, thus capturing the world’s attention with his expressive sculptures. The sculpture, which he recently finished showcases a gavel knocking on an elderly apostolic man’s head from who is forcibly holding onto a weeping girl child.
In an interview with Sunday News, Ngwerume said the beautiful carving in this case depicts the justice needed for a 14-year-old Machaya girl who was married to an elderly religious man in Manicaland province and died while giving birth and it also sums up the justice needed for several children who are forced into marriages.
“In this land there is a problem, child marriages still continue to haunt us, and babies are still forced to have babies by the manipulative men under the guise of religion. The rainbow of art through the gift in my hands declares child marriages as the most unfinished business of the 21st Century.
“Through this piece of art, I yearn for a shift towards more sustainable societies that eradicate such inhuman gender inequality. It should be known that true strength is in the soul and spirit, and not in the muscles of blasphemous men who force young children into marriages. Before God everyone is equal so the girl child should never be treated as second class. No girl child should be conscripted into any marriage arrangement under any circumstances for it tears their hopes of a brighter future. It is a pre-condition that as long as such injustice remains an instrument of suppression against the girl child and women then the purported freedom will never be free,” he added.
Ngwerume’s leaps for inspiring change in society through art began when he was just a teenager.
“I was 15 years old when I met a sculptor by the name Cosmas Muchenje. I developed a passion for sculpting by just watching him do his work. So during the week I would go to school and on weekends I would be sculpting with him.”
Now 25 years later, his work is making headlines all over the world.
“My work has been trending in lots of countries in America, United Kingdom, Spain and Hong Kong. People are really impressed and I am also grateful to those who helped in amplifying my work,” said Ngwerume.
Earlier this year, the talented artist made headlines after unveiling a piece titled “The New Normal” which draws inspiration from the reality the world is facing due to the pandemic. The piece, which is made up of black granite, showcases a woman, carved in the shape of the African map, wearing a headscarf and a surgical mask.
One of his notable pieces chronicles the times we are in where vaccines are being rolled out globally.
Titled “Piece to arms”, the sculpture aims to counter vaccine hesitancy. It features a half figure of a woman wearing a surgical mask presenting her shoulder to a pair of disembodied hands holding a syringe.
