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Antelope
Zimbabwean Bernard Mavunga has been passionate about sculpture since childhood, when he used to watch his uncle Biggie Kapeta (one of Zimbabwe's finest sculptors), at work. Bernard set up Mara to increase exposure of this uniquely beautiful art form.
Mara is the Shona name for the Impala antelope, which is Bernard's family totem. In Zimbabwean culture, everyone has an animal totem to watch over them and, in return, they must respect and protect their animal.
This relationship of mutual respect forms the basis of Mara's business practice. We believe in fair trade and always buy direct from the artists at their asking price. We aim to grow our business to provide diverse and reliable markets for sculptors. Mara sculpture represents both established and up-and-coming artists ensuring fine work and exceptional quality.
Zimbabwe means "house of stone" and its people are descended from an ancient culture of stone carving. In the 1950s and 60s, new interest in the development of an indigenous art movement lead to a resurrection of the art form. Now, Zimbabwean sculpture (or Shona sculpture as it is often known) is recognised as the most important artistic movement to emerge from Africa, with collections in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Musee Rodin in Paris. The great artists such as Nicholas Mukomberanwa and the Takawira brothers are highly collectible: Prince Charles amongst others is a keen collector.
Mara sculpture represents both established and up-and-coming artists ensuring fine work and exceptional quality.