Artist Statement

Hello, I'm Chaka Chikodzi. My work as a stone sculptor is a practice of listening—listening to deep time, to ancestral memory, and to the stories embedded in the earth. For over two decades, I have worked with volcanic stone from Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke, now carving and creating in Katarokwi/Kingston, Canada. Living between two continents has shaped how I approach the stone—not only as a material, but as a partner in dialogue. The stone carries its own history, its own pace, its own quiet language. My task is to meet it there.

I am especially drawn to the geological story of the Great Dyke, an un-erupted volcanic ridge that spans the length of Zimbabwe. It is one of the few places in the world where volcanic material rose and cooled without erupting, forming a rich variety of stones with intricate grain structures and rare colours—purples, cobalt blues, and oxidized greens. These stones are not just raw materials; they are archives of pressure, temperature, and time. They are living records of the land.

In my sculptures, I explore the tension between the stone’s ancient narrative and the contemporary human stories I bring to it. I am interested in how time lives inside the stone, and how we might find our place within that continuum. My process is intuitive, often driven by the form and feel of the raw stone itself. The resulting works are organic, rooted, and elemental—bridging continents, histories, and identities.

In 2016, I undertook a residency at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, conducting research at sacred and geological sites such as the Matobo Hills, the Great Zimbabwe ruins, and the rock paintings of the Eastern Highlands. These experiences deepened my understanding of Zimbabwe’s spiritual and material relationship to stone, and further grounded my work in the land from which it originates.

Beyond my artistic practice, I am the founder of Tawineyi Community School, a rural education centre in Zimbabwe dedicated to early literacy, traditional arts, and community building. It is named in honour of my father and represents my ongoing commitment to cultural continuity and grassroots education.

Through stone, I carve not only form, but connection—between generations, between lands, and between the visible and invisible stories that shape who we are.