Memory in Ironwood
Medium
SculptureMaterial
WoodDescription
Carved from rare driftwood ironwood found near Nyanga in eastern Zimbabwe at the end of the last century, this extraordinary sculpture is a dialogue between time, fire, and spirit. Naturally shaped by water and age before being rescued by the sculptor, the wood carries its own history—cracks, grain, and burn marks becoming part of the narrative rather than imperfections to be erased.
On the outer surface, a finely cut face emerges from the living grain, calm and observant, as if listening to the land from which it came. Yet the true revelation lies behind the charred interior: within the burnt hollow, a second face appears—an older African man, carved subtly into the darkness. This hidden presence evokes ancestry, memory, and wisdom preserved through hardship.
Fire here is not destruction but transformation. The burn reveals rather than conceals, suggesting that identity is layered—what is visible to the world and what is carried within. The sculpture stands as a meditation on AfricaTry it!
