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African art has received broad interest in recent years, and contemporary African art has become extremely popular. Zimbabwe, a southern African country whose name literally means “the house of stone,” is known for its remarkable stone sculptors.

Some Shona sculptors are considered to be among the top sculptors in the world. Semi-abstract sculptures created by artists of the country’s largest ethnic group can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Musee Rodin in Paris, Queen Elizabeth II, the Rockefellers, the Rothschilds, the actor Danny Glover and other discerning art collectors.

The Shona sculptors' work is inspired by their deeply-held spiritual beliefs, folklore and daily life, and have in turn inspired many western artists. It is believed that Pablo Picasso may have been influenced by this art form. While modern in inspiration, their sculptures are created much as they were thousands of years ago.

The sculptors use simple chisels to “release” the spirits of the stone. As the late Henry Munyaradzi, one of the most prominent sculptors explained, “The sculpture is already hidden in the stone-I just it let out.”

Terra Decor has one of the largest collections of Shona Art in the UK.