EXCLUSIVE: Natalie Dumont de Chassart is a Zimbabwean creative who released her powerful poetry anthology “From Dust – A Remembrance of Self” in late 2024. She is also a visual artist whose work is inspired by the baobab trees which are spread across the African continent.

She and her partner Robbie Rorich are preparing for an exhibition of their works in Harare Zimbabwe. We stole a few minutes from the busy Natalie to get insight into her work and the upcoming exhibition. ^{*KM – Kudzai Mhangwa, NDC – Natalie Dumont de Chassart}

KM: Thank you for giving us the time to chat. Tell us a bit about yourself Natalie.

NDC: As a child growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, I used to wake up before dawn and have long conversations with my rabbits. Perhaps that was the beginning, or the first memory of knowing that non-communicative beings were animate and wise.

Many of my books and words come through the connection to nature and animals that I was blessed enough to be exposed to at a young age. That is one of the beauties of a land like Zimbabwe; on the surface there is little abundance, but in the simplicity of roots, there is everything. Connection, closeness, potential for growth, and life. There is so much life in nature. And Zimbabwe, being so close to nature, is so full of life.

KM: When did you start getting into the arts?

NDC: I don’t believe in ‘getting into the arts’. Art is already an innate part of all of us. Choice is an art you see, and however anyone is living, is how they choose to live. That means, we are all constantly creating. Every second we are creating our lives, painting our lives, colouring our lives. Or choosing a blunt HP pencil to draw within the constructs of what someone else has set out for us. None is better or worse, but all is creating the next version of reality. So I suppose, when I was born on Earth, I arrived by default into the art of living.

KM: When you were younger did you ever think you would become a published poet and visual artist?

NDC: I always loved poetry. However, I was unfortunately (or fortunately) not one of those children who turned 4 and knew they wanted to be a doctor or lawyer. In fact when I turned 24, having completed 2 years of law (because that’s what my friends were doing) – it was quite the contrary experience – I knew for certain I did not want to be a lawyer.

The art and books have arrived through a meandering pathway of love and side-hobbies. I’ve always had various full time jobs, mostly in marketing roles. This is the first time I’ve allowed room to really be a poet and an artist in a practical sense. It’s wonderful, and a little frightening at times, to keep stepping deeper and deeper into work that comes from the heart. I’m sure the journey will keep unfolding in its own interesting trajectory.

In some ways I knew from early on that what I could channel, especially in writing, was a gift, as it has always felt so much bigger than me. In school I would write stories that would bring my teachers to tears, and letters to friends that seemed to have a wisdom in them that was beyond my mind’s understanding.

I think it – the words and art – are bigger than what I could imagine, and can still imagine. I don’t say this because of some personal talent, rather the feeling can be channeled through writing and art, which is so overwhelmingly rich with healing. My writing, when it is from that pure place, holds messages to encourage healing and change, and share the knowledge that hope is always here.

KM: Your poetry book “From Dust – A Remembrance of Self” was released a little over a year ago. Tell us about the process of putting the work together.

NDC: Like most of creation it just started as a feeling. The feeling became words and the words became poems, and so many poems arrived that a book then appeared. I was in a transitional phase in my life, a beautiful relationship had ended and I was also making the decision to leave behind life in London and move back to Africa. A lot was moving through me; my heart was raw and full of feeling. That was the start, all in all the process was gentle and joyful, writing was an inner-reprieve from the outside world, a place of picking and unpicking beliefs, and a meditative divulgence of self.  Including the design and publishing, the whole process took about 3 years.

A beautiful part about the book is that over thirty mostly Southern African artists and friends have contributed pieces to go with the various works. So much beauty arrives in the co-creative nature of something like this. It’s as if the words were one level, and the artists’ work completely takes it into another dimension, with angles that I never would have found through my own interpretation.

KM: How was your journey to getting published?

NDC: It was wonderful, and somewhat unexpected. Every part of the journey has been so powerful that the words, whether published or not, held some gravass that I understood internally would, by the grace of God, reach the eyes of those ready to receive them. Be that 1 person or 1 million people. To be honest, it still doesn’t matter. The feeling of 1 is the same as the feeling of 1 million. And it is beautiful. The publishing was a wonderful gift to enable that. It arrived when I directly messaged a then stranger with many mutual connections, who is now a very dear friend and mentor, Jan Teede. His boutique publishing house, Jumping Frog Books, took on the poetry book and guided it from the womb to its physical birth. Jan, upon his first reading, made me, and the work – which had been in its laptop creche, coddled over by me for hours on end – feel suddenly very seen.

KM: Where you ever nervous about having your work put out in such a way?

NDC: Yes. The human ego is a marvelous thing and I’m afraid I’m a recovering people pleaser. The thing about people pleasers is we often do what we think will be liked by many, or approved of by the generations that have gone before. This seemingly harmless and mostly sub-conscious act, is a sweet lure into brutal societal expectations and norms that don’t allow the silliness, playfulness and outspoken voice that comes from truly; truly being yourself.

Now there is no ‘normal’, but we as human beings have a wonderful way of, within our systems and our environments, even within our communities and families – creating normal. When you start thinking, acting and doing from a deep place of authenticity, you rarely fit the mould of normal. Instagram, of all things, was the wonderful wand as to which sharing more broadly felt possible. I was nervous on the surface, but something deeper and truer inside whispered the knowing sentences, ‘this is bigger than you’. I felt so grateful for universal guidance and affirmation in that time, just one person reaching out to say it had made them smile, took any nerves away in time. Even if your authentic self is just for one smile, just one, surely that is worth something. For me, it was then. And it continues to be.

KM: Your art is also primarily inspired by baobab trees. Why is that?

NDC: At the moment, yes. I’m sure it will keep changing, as the trees themselves grow and change. The Baobabs are powerful beings to work with. Once I read they were the old gathering places of our African ancestors and now I feel like I am guided by those very voices.

Trees each have such distinct personalities, Wattle’s for example are humorous and light – full of quirky energy and sing-songy wisdom, they teach us through joy and symbolise new beginnings and new life. The Willow is somewhat melancholy but completely wise in her whispers and ways. Then there is the Baobab. Ancient in every sense of the word. Her roots are her; “as above, so below”, Baobab reminds us. In drawing her, we are gifted with the feeling of great presence; of grand presence, and also of the beautiful space inside ourselves. Just as the Baobab hollows take shape and open her; so our inner-space, our breath and life-force are with us to keep us open even in our most physical human form.

KM: You are also putting together an exhibition with Robbie Rorich, what will be on display in Harare and how are preparations going?

NDC: Robbie is the more experienced artist of the two of us in this sense, he’s been holding exhibitions for his beautiful bronze sculpture work as far back as 2019. Seven of his sculptors will be on display; mostly, these bring to life the divine connection between human and creature, mostly showing the beautiful, innocent and powerful interactions between the child and wild.  One of the most well renowned, Pangolin & Boy, will be for sale, with some proceeds going to the Lisa Hayward Pangolin Foundation, a nearby conservation for pangolins, in the Mazowe area.

As well as his sculptures, Robbies spirals will be on display. These ancient-feeling mandala style watercolour works are painted with absolute precision and in complete universal flow. The contrast of these spirals, geometrical and precise, is such a contrast to my sketch-style trees and baobabs, which are drawn in ink pen and with flowy shapes and movements that seem, in time, to create themselves.

What has been so beautiful is feeling the two styles come into each other as one. I draw the outline and intricate shades of the baobab, and Robbie then fills it in with the spirals. Seeing this happen is the most powerful, for us. As it feels like the spirals represent infinity and the Baobabs, the full power of physical life. The two coming together is as if the realisation of humanity, that we are infinite; that we are all completely free and completely powerful within our bodies.

KM: Aside from your artistic works, what are you into?

NDC: I do freelance brand consulting and marketing work for our family business, Surrey Group. Increasingly drawing, writing and designing are taking up more of my time – which I’m grateful for. My partner Robbie and I are, at least at this stage, fairly nomadic, so a lot of time is spent travelling between places. He’s a trail runner and that takes us to wonderful mountainous areas. Luckily, art, marketing and writing are accessible from wherever we are in the world. I enjoy running too, but not as fast as Robbie. Last year I ran 250kms through the Kalahari Desert with a dear friend and 40 other people as part of the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon (KAEM). My dad and I have a brief history of ironmans together! On the topic of family in general, I really cherish mine, so time with my partner, parents, sisters, in-laws and close friends is extremely precious and something I never want to stop prioritising.

KM: Thank you so much for your time Natalie. What are your final words for us?

NDC: A reminder that we are all artists. Anywhere you are – anything you like or dislike, you have chosen, and by choosing your reality, you are creating your reality.

Natalie’s work is available on her website (Natalie Dumont de Chassart | Poetry, Writing, Lifecoaching) and she showcases some of her work on her Instagram handle @nataliedechassart) .