What started out as a chance meeting with some of the best artists of Zimbabwe, soon developed into a warm and close cooperation and from there into an actual friendship. We were taken by the beauty and direct approach by the first sculptures we came to know, and by the down-to-earth attitude combined with a pride and strong self-consciousness, which were so typical for all the artists. Being Europeans, we were used to seeing art as something up there at a higher level than our daily lives. And objects of investment, sold at exorbitant prices from auctions. We were happily surprised to meet art at the same universal quality level there in Zimbabwe, many kilometers outside the Capital of Harare, and with expressions, which in the best examples resembled sculptures by the most wonderful European artists, such as Michelangelo, Moore, Picasso and Braque, to mention a few, of which at least two were themselves inspired by African ethnic art. This proves that art is universal and can be met anywhere on our globe. Friends Forever – the concept
Bonding in an organized way with the Zimbabwean artists in 2004 became a reality, when we together decided to go for sales exhibitions in Europe, to try out a resurrection of the former presence of the Zimbabwean Stone Sculpture in the art world of Europe and the world at large. And happily we succeeded, because it became clear already at the first exhibition in Begues, Barcelona, Spain that the stone sculptures from Zimbabwe, and from the new Masters of the art, we may add, was immediately appreciated by a large audience. So, hundreds of exhibitions followed, and the concept of Friends Forever, which in short means opening up all art loving eyes of Europe and the USA to the Master Sculptors of Zimbabwe, and by selling the art to this same audience, has since then provided reasonable life conditions for the artists. Friends Forever bring the exclusive Zimbabwean art to exhibitions in Europe and create a unique connection between the artists and all the people, who meet the art, experience it, get excited and moved by it, and eventually buy a piece for themselves.
