Today (2 September) Oriel College reveals new details about an upcoming exhibition on Cecil Rhodes, ‘The Rhodes Legacy Through the Eyes of Zimbabwean Sculptors’. Opening Friday 3 October 2025, the exhibition will feature four original stone sculptures by Zimbabwean artists. The exhibition discusses the colonial campaign led by Rhodes in Zimbabwe, charts the history of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in Oxford and shines a light on the tradition of Zimbabwean stone sculpture.

Made out of Zimbabwean serpentine and springstone, the four sculptures offer a unique artistic perspective on Rhodes’s impact on the people of Zimbabwe. They were chosen by judging panel from a total of 110 submitted to a competition organised by Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership (OZAP) for artists at Chitungwiza Arts Centre, near Harare. One of the sculptures is the winning submission, ‘Blindfolded justice’ by Wallace Mkankha, a 34-year-old artist from Chitungwiza.

Lord Mendoza CBE, Provost of Oriel College said: “I’m proud of our collaboration with Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership to explore the history that Oriel College shares with Zimbabwe. The new exhibition explores Cecil Rhodes’s legacy, both in southern Africa and here in Oxford. I’m delighted that it features four original works of Zimbabwean stone sculpture. We’re looking forward to publicly displaying the four works in the UK for the first time.”

The main exhibition text is written by William Beinart, emeritus professor at the African Studies Centre, Oxford University, in consultation with OZAP, Oriel College and St Mary’s, University Church, Oxford. The curator of the exhibition is Richard Pantlin, founder of OZAP. The exhibition will also include a short documentary by a young filmmaker in Chitungwiza inspired by the project.

Richard Pantlin said: “The response in Zimbabwe to the competition was inspiring. The four selected artworks and artist descriptions reflect on the effects of British colonialism there and celebrate the survival and resilience of the indigenous peoples. OZAP hopes the exhibition will stimulate constructive debate on the historic ties and shared future between our two countries.”

William Beinart said: “The exhibition and notes by the sculptors are an opportunity to hear a Zimbabwean perspective on Rhodes’s legacy. Our aim is to develop discussion on the issues raised by Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter, to bring Zimbabwean sculpture to a wider audience, and to make links between Chitungwiza Arts Centre and Oxford.”

Millius Palayiwa, Chair of Britain Zimbabwe Society said: “Oriel College is to be applauded for its creative, constructive and progressive efforts at contextualising the contested legacy of Cecil John Rhodes. This is a most welcome, positive initiative from my alma mater. It indeed is ‘righting history’ and ‘healing of the nations’.”

The judging panel of the sculpture competition included Norbert Shamuyarira, a Shona sculptor, Be Manzini, a Zimbabwean UK-based multi-disciplinary artist, Elleke Boehmer, a Rhodes Trust trustee, and Lord Mendoza, who chaired the panel.

The exhibition is open daily and free of charge at Oriel College from 10am until 2pm until Wednesday 8 October 2025. The exhibition will then move to St Mary’s, University Church, and be open to the public from Saturday 11 October to Sunday 7 December 2025.