Born out of a desire to share and celebrate my Zimbabwean cultural heritage as a person of dual citizenship raising third-culture children in Aotearoa, Kumusha seeks to bring together two seemingly disconnected worlds through art. Kumusha means ‘homeland’ in Shona, my mother tongue, and is about connection, belonging, and identity. In sharing my cultural heritage with other New Zealanders through art, Kumusha recognises the Shona version of Ubuntu, ‘Hunhu‘, which means ‘I am because you are’. We are all connected, and we all belong to each other. Kumusha is about our connection and belonging to each other through art. Kumusha is the Shona equivalent of Turangawae wae, the place where we stand. My hope and desire are that as I share my cultural heritage, others will find pieces that resonate with their own identity and heritage, thus connecting us further. At Kumusha, we seek to connect two worlds through art. To promote a shared sense of belonging to each other and our homes, and to foster a love and appreciation of African art and culture.

Hand-carved Shona stone sculptures are an integral part of Zimbabwean culture due to one of the largest stone reserves in the world and a unique artistic tradition of stone carving. Zimbabwe means the Great House of Stone, in Shona and is named after the Great Zimbabwe Settlement, an 11-15th century city in Southern Zimbabwe. The nearly eighty-acre city was constructed from carved stone and housed up to 18,000 people at its height. Now a world heritage site, the city demonstrates the historic skill and innovation of the Shona tribe.

Come home with us.