Internationally acclaimed visual artist, David Ngwerume has crafted a stone sculpture piece advocating for Covid-19 vaccination.
The sculpture, titled ‘Arms’ made of a black and white spring stone, features a man wearing a surgical mask receiving his Covid-19 vaccination jab on the arm.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday, Ngwerume said he felt compelled to play his part as an artist and encourage people to receive their vaccination shots.
“As you know that making something new has always changed the world, my desire to play my part as an artist around the Covid-19 pandemic captured the time we are in wherein vaccination is one of the ways being encouraged to curb the spread,” he said.
In Zimbabwe, the vaccination roll-out commenced in a three-phase approach in February.
As of 13 April, 218 516 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine had been administered and 29 839 people had received their second doses nationwide.
The government is aiming at inoculating 60% of the national population in order to achieve herd immunity.
Ngwerume’s trending ‘Arms’ piece is currently showcasing at his art gallery in Greendale, Harare.
“This sculpture intends to show the world we are now as humanity in a vernacular spectation since art has always been a crowning glory that captures past, present and the future.
“It took me a week to produce,” he said.
He added that he hopes to partner with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
The lawyer cum sculptor has remained passionate about creating awareness on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, he made sculptures titled, ‘The New Normal’ of a woman donning a doek and a face mask on an African map and ‘MaskUp’ of a man in a suit again wearing a face mask.
Ngwerume, who has been practising as a sculptor for over two decades, is famed for producing the ‘scales of justice’ piece located in front of the Bulawayo and Harare High Courts.
Source: New Zimbabwe
