The ultimate refuge.
Family.
By Nyadzombe Nyampenza
A united family is the ultimate refuge. It offers warmth and protection. A family of birds carved out of green serpentine stone stands outside the Mteki residence in Highfield, Harare. It is sculptor Richard Mteki’s testament to the true value of family.
Birds can be observed to groom each other, and huddle against cold weather. They give an impression of a cozy and intimate relationship. Mteki’s sculpture of a family of storks exudes care and tenderness. It represents a coming together. Delicate curved lines and rounded surfaces exhibit a labour love.
Corporates exploit the concept of family for bonding purposes. Marketers use the feeling of belonging to promote brands and services. People have surrogate families in social clubs and gatherings. Sometimes the value of biological family is forgotten.
Real families are vulnerable and take effort to maintain. They can be fragmented in the pursuit of material goals, and consumption. Mteki’s work inspires and upholds the notion of an ideal family.
