Chaka Chikodzi is a Zimbabwean-Canadian stone sculptor based in Kingston, Ontario. He works with volcanic rock from Zimbabwe where he began sculpting as a teenager and has a studio in Kingston and in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe, where he works with a team of sculpting assistants. His work is inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the natural rock formations that are unique to Zimbabwe’s landscape. Working with Zimbabwean stone in Canada, where he has lived for the past 22 years, he has become increasingly interested in the stone itself – in the story it tells about geological history and in the relationship that he has forged with it over my years living between two continents.
The six sculptures at Eclipse are made from volcanic rock from Zimbabwe including Springstone, Opal, and Serpentine. Chaka collects his stones from an un-erupted volcanic ridge in Africa that is known as the Great Dyke - it is 500 km long and 90 km wide at its widest point. It is one of the few volcanic ridges in the world that didn’t ever erupt, that only rose and cooled without spilling, making it a storehouse of incredible and unique types of stone.