Oxford Exhibition Unveils Zimbabwean Sculptures Confronting Colonial Legacy

Oxford University is set to host a groundbreaking exhibition this September at Oriel College, featuring powerful stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists that challenge and contextualize the legacy of British colonialism.

These works, crafted by carvers from the Chitungwiza Arts Center near Harare, boldly depict the history of oppression—including scenes of religious deception, forced labor, and sexual abuse—that characterized the era of Cecil John Rhodes, whose controversial statue still stands at the college.

The sculptures offer unflinching imagery such as a pair of white hands blinding a Black face, a colonizer crushing a native skull, and chained miners, directly confronting the painful history of land seizure and exploitation in southern Africa.

For the Zimbabwean artists, this exhibition is not only a reckoning with colonial legacy but also a chance to revitalize their ancient art form and share their narrative with a Western audience at a symbolic location steeped in colonial history.