A powerful Zimbabwean story carved in stone now stands at one of the most important memorial sites in the United States. The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) Museum and the Freedom Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Alabama, have installed Breaking Bondage, a striking sculpture by renowned Shona artist Farai Tigere Tandi, to honor the memory of thousands of enslaved Africans whose resilience shaped history.
By Plot Mhako
Titled Breaking Bondage, the sculpture symbolizes liberation, endurance, and the unbroken spirit of Black people across generations. Its placement at the Freedom Sculpture Park—part of America’s national remembrance of slavery and racial terror—is a major acknowledgment of global Black artistry and Zimbabwe’s enduring contribution to world culture.
Farai Tigere Tandi, born in Murewa, comes from a legendary lineage of stone masters. A winner of the prestigious Agio Award (2008) and two-time National Arts Merit Award (2016 & 2021) recipient, Farai began learning his craft at just six years old in his father’s workshop. Under the guidance of his father Thomas Takaendesa Tandi, and grandfather Gabriel Tandi (Snr)—a grandmaster widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the modern Shona art movement—Farai grew up balancing school with an informal apprenticeship that shaped him into one of Zimbabwe’s most sought-after sculptors.
Working with semi-precious stones such as verdite, red jasper, lapidolite, agates, and rose quartz, Farai has developed a reputation for bringing “life to stones that have been lying silent since the beginning of the world.” His realistic, emotive human and animal sculptures reflect what he calls his “sixth sense—art.”
“Art is a feeling,” Farai says. “The way you feel is how your art will portray. My happiness gives life to my sculptures and allows them to communicate with those who collect them.”
Today, with exhibitions spanning Germany to the European Union and numerous accolades—including multiple Best Selling Artist awards—Farai’s work continues to carry the legacy of his family and the spirit of Zimbabwean stone sculpture onto the world stage.
The installation of Breaking Bondage at the EJI Freedom Sculpture Park is not only a personal triumph for Farai but a cultural moment for Zimbabwe.
It cements the role of Shona stone sculpture in telling global narratives of struggle, humanity, and triumph.
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