Since childhood, Gedion Nyanhongo has had a magnetic pull to chisel and stone. And decades later, that passion is as strong as ever. For him, sculpting stone is more than creating art. It’s unearthing the unique story that lives within each stone. As Gedion sees it, he is simply a conduit for that story to emerge.

“Before I do anything, I look at the natural form of the stone and I respect that in every stone, there is a living spirit that needs to be liberated,” Gedion said. “ The only way to do that is to start with the natural form––to respect the stone and get the vision of what I see in that stone.”

Once he has that vision, Gedion chisels and carves the stone away to reveal the story––and that story is typically about love, family and human connection. Though he grew up learning to sculpt with a variety of mediums, he intentionally chose stone for its enduring nature––stone offered Gedion a way to preserve the deeply resonant themes central to the Shona culture: community, relationships and the sacredness of life.

“Stone outlives all of us,” Gedion said. “I chose that medium because I wanted to mark where we are as human beings today. Instead of writing a book, by making sculpture, it will be passed on to future generations.”

In this interview, he shares why he is drawn to this art form, how he sees stones differently than most others and what he loves most about the creative process.

Q&A with Gedion:

When did you know art was your calling?

When I was young, I used to get in trouble with my father because I used to get into his studio, pick up a tool that was not supposed to be used for granite, and there I am with his chisel and any granite that is lying around and I’m using my hammer on it. I got in trouble because it would blunt his chisel. But I always wanted to go back, even though I would get myself in trouble.

Daddy discovered that’s what I liked most, so he set up some tools for me and some stones. He said, “These are your stones and these are your tools. Don’t touch my tools.” And he gave me some soft stone, some very soft roots of trees that were carvable, and clay to make some sculptures out of that.

As I started to go to my primary school, we used to have what was called “handcraft.” Handcraft is where you create something or a sculpture with your hands. I used to make sculptures out of clay, soft wood and soapstone. That’s when I knew that was my passion. In class, I wasn’t number one. I wasn’t the last, but I was in the middle. But when it came to art, I was number one. It would just flow out. That’s how I knew I would love to do art.

How has your creative journey evolved?

Knowledge is power. As you grow up, you start to learn certain things that you never grew up knowing. You start to meet people with different cultures and talking and traveling, seeing certain things. Then you have that in your mind and start to think of what you want to do, which is different from what you grew up doing. Hanging out with other artists, as well, you see what they do. And it’s an inspiration that fuels my spirit of creativity to start to think of what to do better and how to do it.

I first started with some moonheads, smiley heads, spade heads, and shovel heads. These were just simple, but they were powerful during that time. As I started to know how to use tools and how to look at a stone to try to see beyond just a stone––it made a difference in how I approach the stone. And as soon as I did that, it improved the quality of the finished product. Also, changing from what I had started using, like knives to scratch the stone. Now I can use chiseling, which makes it more genuine and original.

What do you love most about the creative process?

When I look at it, I see far more than a stone. I see what it’s going to be, because of its natural form. That’s a hint for my third eye to see and be able to see that. Every piece of mine is different from the other because I base my creativity on the form of the stone. I have my own ideas also, and I have dreams as well, but then I take those ideas and look for the stone that matches the form so that I don’t have to work too much to turn a round stone into a flat. I believe there’s a living force in every stone, so I respect it by wanting to connect with the stone, rather than just taking it and being a dictator. I want to be a conduit, to listen to what it wants me to do, and then I give it back to it.

Do you have a favorite stone?

I use a number of stones. I love stones in general. It could be granite, marble or serpentine. I love everything. I like stones because they are naturally created to look like something. It takes an eye for somebody to see and connect with the stone to see what’s in it or what it is. I use opal stone from Zimbabwe, green, brown and black sepentine, leopard stone, dolomite, verdite, red jasper, and a number of others. I use all stones.

What has been the most meaningful response to your work?

When someone looks at it and you see them smile. When someone walks into my booth and they look at a piece and start smiling and backing off to look at it. That moment takes me back to my studio. It takes me back to the original stone and to realize that somebody now sees what I saw and they connect with it. And when somebody comes in and says, “I love that. I cannot go without that one.” That’s the best success in the creative world––that connection. You create by yourself in your studio, but you put it out there and then you find somebody who connects with it and it’s like you made it for that person. That to me is satisfying and that to me feels like success in what I do.

What brings you back to the Celebration of Fine Art?

It’s the best international platform where you rub shoulders with international artists and top collectors of art. When you see them acknowledging what you have done and how you are doing it, it inspires me as a person who lives in art, for art and by art. I like to see other artists doing their work. And seeing clients connect with my work.

The Celebration is an international platform where the world meets and the world meets the art they love. I feel honored to be part of this family where we come share ideas, but each one has their own trademark and their own mind. The connection it gives, the happiness it gives to people and families, it makes me want to come back and I feel like I belong here. All the way from Zimbabwe, it was meant for me to be here. I feel this is the platform where I can show all my creativity.