Zimbabwe Shona Serpentine Stone Family Sculpture Africa African Art Abstract.

‘Family of 5’ is a contemporary abstract stone sculpture. The Family of 4 falls under the "UKAMA" category of sculptures. Ukama means relatedness within a family as well as extended family. The “Ukama” sculptures are very popular and these are renditions of the family group- couples, dancers, loving families. 

The family sculpture symbolizes the family bond that is so important to the Shone people. Ukama sculptures are intended to evoke feelings of harmony and peace that earn the blessings of our ancestors and remind us of our our roots. Maybe the perfect gift sculpture to celebrate that sense of occasion. 

The sculpture is wonderfully expressive. It portrays a human message in a figurative or abstract manner and conveys emotional values such as a family's bond or the maternal bond. This stunning hand-carved African statue is produced from Serpentine stone.

While depictions in African stone sculptures may be similar, the patterns in the Serpentine stone cannot be replicated. This makes each statue unique. The artist carves the stone using a diamond tipped chisel. It is then sanded for hours through varying degrees of sandpaper until smooth. The sculpture is then heated and a polish is melted into the stone. The process of heating and polishing can be repeated two or 3 times until the desired finish is reached. Finally it is buffered to leave a wonderfully tactile surface, almost irresistible to touch.