Colleen Madamombe

Colleen Madamombe, born in 1964 in Harare, Zimbabwe, was a prominent Zimbabwean stone sculptor and three-time recipient of the Best Female Artist of Zimbabwe award. Her work, renowned for expressing themes of womanhood, motherhood, and the matriarchal authority, reflected her deep interest in the emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of the female experience. She captured emotions like pride, authority, and tenderness with poetic clarity. Madamombe also commented on the evolving role of women in Zimbabwean society, highlighting the challenges they faced in arts careers due to traditional constraints and self-confidence issues. Additionally, she had a unique fascination with insects, valuing their humility and often incorporating them into her art. She worked mainly with hard black Serpentine, creating diverse textures. Madamombe passed away on May 31, 2009, and was buried in her rural home in Zvimba.