About Us

Fran Fearnley
Fran Fearnley, is the owner of ZimArt and the Rice Lake Gallery which first opened in 2000. An avid art collector and former journalist, Fran travels to Zimbabwe each year to meet the artists and select works for upcoming shows.

Fran, spent two years volunteering in South Africa, and was first introduced to Shona sculpture in 1998 when representing the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair. She is committed to fair trade practices and building sustainable relationships with the artists she represents. Her mandate, which is shared by her colleagues, is to give back to the country. Fran has made a personal and business commitment to supporting both grassroots and formal projects helping  HIV/AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. To find out more see Fundraising. Click here to read an article about Fran and ZimArt which appeared in the April 2008 issue of MORE magazine.

Biggie Chikodzi
Biggie Chikodzi, lives in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he represents ZimArt in a number of capacities. He has been sourcing sculptures for clients and galleries in South Africa and the US for close to a decade.

Biggie, who also owns and operates his own business, liaises with the ZimArt’s artists year-round, at times organizing the transport of stone to artists in urban areas. He also travels with Fran on the buying trips providing advice on the selection of work and handling all the logistics involved. Biggie is involved in ZimArt’s fundraising initiatives and maintains contact with the projects ZimArt is evaluating or supporting.

Biggie travels to Canada each year to co-curate the annual exhibition held in Montreal and the Rice Lake series. He has worked with ZimArt since 2003.

Paul Hodgkinson
Paul Hodgkinson joined the ZimArt team in 2006. A fine art photographer by profession, Paul is the gallery’s official photographer and he is also responsible for sculpture restoration and installation for ZimArt and our clients.He was taught sculpture restoration by Biggie and former artists-in-residence Simon Chidharara and Authur Manyengedzo. Paul has earned the title ‘honorary Zimbabwean’ from his Zimbabwean colleagues because of the skills he has developed in stone sculpture restoration!

Modest Chikodzi
Modest Chikodzi lives in Harare, Zimbabwe with her husband Biggie and their three children.

Modest is a resource for the projects ZimArt is supporting in Zimbabwe. She maintains contact year round and makes site visits to assess needs and evaluate progress. She also meets with the students ZimArt is sponsoring with school fees and uniforms.

ZimArt-in-Trust does not hand over money to the projects, so Modest sources, buys and delivers whatever is needed - from cement to live chickens!

Evangelina Rodriguez
Evangelina (Vange) Rodriguez joined ZimArt in 2011 in a part-time capacity as the Administrative Assistant. Vange, who is originally from Mexico, also runs a home-based business and is an active volunteer in the Peterborough community. She has a B.Sc. in accounting and a range of organizational, project management, communication and computing skills. Vange’s ability to multi-task and remain upbeat and energetic in all circumstances, makes her a very welcome addition to the ZimArt team!

The 2013 artist-in-residence is Simon Chidharara.

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