Gorillas

Bergkamen

Gorillas

Two large gorillas greet visitors in front of City Hall in Bergkamen. They were created by the artist Ray Chataira, who lives and works in Zimbabwe. The first sculpture arrived at the bus station in June 2022. Since September 2022, it has been joined by a smaller gorilla. These sculptures are examples of modern art from Africa.

Transforming Waste

The gorillas are made entirely of recycled metal. Ray Chataira uses old oil drums, car body panels, and machine parts. In his studio in the Mbare district of Harare, he shapes the hard material. He cuts, bends, and welds the individual pieces together. The result is a lifelike figure. This art of welding demonstrates the power of creativity. Worthless scrap is transformed into valuable one-of-a-kind pieces. In Zimbabwe, this art form has a long tradition. Today, it is known worldwide as “Shona Art.”

A Bridge Between Continents

The “SHONA-ART” project from Witten brings these works of art to Europe. The organization is committed to fair trade, which ensures the artists a good income and social security. The gorillas in Bergkamen are a special highlight of the cityscape. They invite people to stop and marvel. The city of Bergkamen would like to display even more such figures in the future. Plans are underway for an entire park featuring metal animals on the Großes Holz slag heap. In this way, the artworks connect the people of Westphalia with the artists in Zimbabwe.

Bergkamen

Gorillas