Makudo eDzimbabgwe

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are a national monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But to the artist, this is home.

In Makudo eDzimbabgwe (“Baboons of Great Zimbabwe”), a congress of baboons ascends the ancient stone ruins; a familiar and evocative sight at Great Zimbabwe.

More than just a gathering, this congress reflects a deeper human truth: a mirror of continuity, an echo of how we have always come together, to survive, to remember, to rebuild. A blood moon casts its glow across the sky, evoking the need for spiritual grounding. Overhead, the ancient yet vibrant muchechete trees stretch across the canvas, as the remnants of a dusky sun burn like a fading ember.

The Conical Tower, standing 11.2 metres tall, looms in the background. Its phallic form is often read as a symbol of masculine authority, yet according to the Lemba, it also serves as a minaret: an architectural conduit through which prayers ascend more swiftly to Mwari.