2009 Sculpture Only Competition -
4th Place Winner Stalin Tafura's Tales in Stone
By Amanda Quinn

"Talking, laughing, smiling, singing" - that's what fourth-place winner of Sculptural Pursuit's 2009 Sculpture Only Competition Stalin Tafura experiences as he allows a stone's shape to emerge. This cherished interaction is why Tafura and other Shona sculptors carve almost exclusively with hand tools. Tafura said he has tried a few power tools in his travels, but prefers hand tools because "there is more communication between me and the sculpture. The stone and I understand each other more. There is no dictating, it is a two-way conversation. I don't want to miss all the creativity that my hand tools, the stone, and I can come across."

Allowing a stone to dictate its shape is not always easy though, as Tafura learned while carving his winning piece, PATIENCE HAS WINGS. Tafura explained that the piece of raw springstone that eventually turned into PATIENCE HAS WINGS was probably the oldest piece he was working on in his studio. "This stone kept saying something to me, but I could not figure out what. I waited for a long time, but it was not that clear. Time passed and I looked at it everyday, sometimes unconsciously. Patience was what I was having with the stone and then it started coming with wings. It sort of reassured me that with patience you can achieve dreams."

Throughout his years as an artist, patience is not the only lesson he has learned. Being part of a family of artists brought its own challenges and blessings. "Since I come from a distinguished family of sculptors, for me the hardest part [of my career] has been to find my own way as an individual sculptor, not a young sculptor from that family," Tafura says. "But the good part about that is that there has been tremendous support and cheering from my mother Agnes, my grandparents, and all my uncles and aunts."

Growth, freedom of expression, and the ability to travel are also benefits Tafura enjoys as an artist. "There is a lot of teaching and healing that comes with being an artist," he says. "It allows you to look inside yourself. You can put yourself out to the world in different ways, but on the other hand it can also be external - you go deeper and start looking elsewhere and through other people's eyes and it is then that you won't sculpt from your own point of view anymore. It will be more from the people and their surroundings. It is a growing process, an expanding self-awareness." Tafura adds that he also enjoys "all the travels and meeting different cultures around the world."

Due to all the traveling he has been able to do, Tafura does not see himself as a citizen of any one particular country. "Even though I was born in Zimbabwe, I see myself as a world citizen since I have visited and worked with a lot of people from different cultures. I have enjoyed art, friendship, and love around the world."

Tafura has found through his world travels that his art seems to resonate in many cultures. "My sculptures have spoken to all kinds of people and there is a great deal of satisfaction that comes with that. I feel very honored," he explains.

Another honor for him has been winning SP's competition, since it was the first competition he had ever entered. "For me as an artist there is no better reward than knowing that somebody out there sees and appreciates my work, seeing something in my sculpture," Tafura says. "Winning something in such a big competition naturally brings confidence, and I feel honored. I am excited to see what impact it will bring. It really is one of my big career points."

For now, Tafura's future plans include hosting summer workshops at Chapungu Sculpture Park in Loveland, Colorado, where some of his sculptures can be seen, and possibly pursuing an MFA degree.

(Article from Scultural Pursuit Magazine - www.sculpturalpursuit.com)