Born in 1934 in the Nyanga district of Zimbabwe Nyanhongo only began to sculpt in 1964, and for many years carving remained a leisure activity. During the 1970's the guerrilla warfare that affected his home area caused him to cease altogether.
When Zimbabwe achieved independence in 1980, he came to Harare and lived for several years with a fellow artist from Nyanga, Moses Masaya. Since that time he has emerged as not only a serious full-time artist but also a successful one.
Nyanhongo prefers to work in the green serpentine stone found in his home district. His creative technique is similar to that of most Zimbabwean artists. He works directly into the stone without any advance planning and sketching. His forms, usually based on birds or humans, are invariably softly rounded, quiet and reflective, and follow the natural shape of the stone. Artists such as Nyanhongo are men of spiritual insight, and their art reflects a spiritual and artistic tradition of great richness and individuality.
In 1989, Frank McEwen, the first Director of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the 'father figure' of Shona sculpture, saw Nyanhongo's work for the first time. He was full of praise for Nyanhongo's work. Commenting on one of his sculptures McEwen stated: "It is unforgettable.... How much further can a sculpture go beyond the exaltation of harmonious forms of intense meaning and beauty? It is a work in which the higher reaches are indescribable in words."
Nyanhongo continues to live and work at his Nyanga home and his sculptures are clear evidence that he has found the inner peace that eluded him during the guerrilla warfare of the 1970's.
DAMIAN MANUHWA (1952-
Damian Manuhwa was born in 1952 in the Rusape District of Zimbabwe. His father, Fabian Manuhwa, carved in wood and Damian himself began to carve while still in school. It was seeing the work in stone of Joram Mariga, however, that prompted Manuhwa to begin sculpting in stone, and in 1970 he joined the National Gallery's Workshop School.
In the 1970s, the development of Shona sculpture suffered the twin blows of Frank McEwen's departure and the international isolation of the country during the civil war. Manuhwa, being a new and young artist at that time, was forced to abandon his efforts to establish himself as a sculptor. But his urge to devote all his time to sculpting remained, and in 1980, the year of Zimbabwe's independence, he resumed his sculpting career. Since then, Manuhwa has rapidly established himself as a leading figure among Zimbabwe's community of sculptors.
His subjects are drawn largely form the natural world of man and animal, and from the spiritual world which is the source of explanation for the events of the world that man inhabits. Manuhwa's work ranges from depictions of man and his varied emotions to the creation of abstract but aesthetically pleasing forms. Like most leading Zimbabwean artists, his work frequently shown metamorphoses between humans and animals.
Since the late 1980's Manuhwa has travelled overseas times, but his work has not been altered by such exposure. Some say that Shona sculpture represents an art form that has survived, or rather has been reborn, with its sense of spiritual and social values intact. The work of Manuhwa and other major Zimbabwean artists is testimony to this reality. They remain true to ancient values and are not swayed by external influences.
EDWARD CHIWAWA (1935 -
Born in Guruve district, about 150 kilometres north west of Harare in 1935 Chiwawa received neither formal education nor any training as an artist and for much of his early life he worked as a farm labourer.
It was as a result of visiting his cousin, Henry Munyaradzi at Tengenenge, the rural community of sculptors established in the mid 1960's in 1971 that Chiwawa was first introduced to stone carving.
Chiwawa only stayed at Tengenenge for two years from 1971 until 1973. Since 1973 he has lived and worked in Chitungwiza, about 20 kilometres from Harare.
Stylistically his work is closer to that of his cousin, Munyaradzi, than to the other, more typically, Tengenenge sculptors such as Bernard Matemera, or his neighbour in Chitungwiza Fanizani Akuda. Most commonly his work involves the creation of a smooth, clean line - often gently rounded - into which is carved facial and other features, his sculpting technique essentially involves etching into the surface of the stone. It is never allowed to intrude into or break up the initial shape created. His work is much influenced by the original shape of stone and his sculptures preserve rather than transform that original shape.
Since the early 1970's Chiwawa's work has often featured in the various Tengenenge and other group exhibitions of Shona sculpture that have been held both within Zimbabwe and internationally. He has also contributed work to several National Gallery of Zimbabwe annual exhibitions. Internationally his achievements include being awarded first prize at the 7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition, Budapest, Hungary in 1987 and having works accepted for the collection of the Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, in The Netherlands.
EDRONCE RUKODZI (1952 -
Born in 1952 in the Guruve District, Rukodzi's interest in sculpting began in 1974 when he visited Henry Munyaradzi, a relative, at the Tengenenge sculpture community. For the next ten years, Rukodzi sculpted only in his spare time. Since 1985, however, he has worked full time as a sculptor and has established himself as an original and creative talent among Zimbabwe's second generation of Shona sculptors.
Despite having been immersed in the modern world and its problems and issues as a senior trade union official, Rukodzi retains close links with his rural background and the Shona society to which he belongs. (He still often lives and works at his rural home in Guruve although he also maintains a home in Chitungwiza - a dormitory town near Zimbabwe's capital city of Harare.) As with many Shona sculptors, it is the timeless aspects of Shona society and tradition that inform his work.
Rukodzi has a considerable knowledge of his own family's history and it is this knowledge of his background, of his family's history, and more particularly of the Shona people's customs, traditions and beliefs, that find creative expression in Rukodzi's work.
His human figures typically have leaf-shaped, pointed heads with crescent-shaped slits for eyes. The heads almost always are enlarged in proportion to the body, a common feature of Shona sculpture and, indeed, of African sculpture in general. Sculpturally, the artist is indicating the importance of the head as the place where the spirit resides.
Rukodzi can best be understood in the context of his own society - its customs, traditions, and beliefs. But, as with his fellow Zimbabwean colleagues of genuine creativity, his is an individualistic and contemporary expression of his cultural heritage.
FANIZANI AKUDA (1932 -
Born in Zambia in 1932, Fanizani came to Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) in 1949 in search of work. He came across the rural community of sculptors at Tengenenge in 1967 and was eventually persuaded to try his hand at sculpting.
Since joining Tengenenge, in the words of its founder, Tom Blomefield, Fanizani's work "brought an originality, vitality and an absorbing spirit of Africa into the many exhibitions in which he has participated."
Fanizani Akuda, is a unique and original talent. His style is neither derivative nor imitative. A Fanizani sculpture is immediately recognisable. His forms and shapes are uniquely his own. They are full and rounded, friendly and fun-filled, emanating benevolence and togetherness.
Fanizani's art reflects his closeness to his traditions, to his own life experiences and how he sees and relates to people and to the natural and supernatural world. Human forms are commonly carved, often depicting the closeness of family ties typical of African societies. Such human forms are invariably tactile, rounded forms that seem to be pressed together creating folded masses and grooves that interact harmoniously and even playfully together. His animal forms are always created totally devoid of any malevolence or evil intent. He is a sculptor totally at peace with his creations.
Although Fanizani has lived and worked in Chitungwiza since 1975 his name is closely associated with Tengenenge and his work is featured in many of their exhibitions. In 1994, for example, his sculptures were included in an exhibition in The Netherlands "Tengenenge Old - Tengenenge New". His work is to be found in the collections of the Museum Fur Volkerkunde, Frankfurt, and the Afrika Museum, Berg en Dal, The Netherlands.
GODFREY KUTUTWA (1967-
Godfrey Kututwa was born in 1967 in the Nyanga district of Zimbabwe. He attended primary school from 1979 to 1985 and then attended two years of secondary schooling. His education was cut short by lack of funds to pay school fees and by his own physical disability – he cannot speak and is almost completely deaf. He began sculpting at the age of 21 as a result of encouragement from Claud Nyanhongo, one of Zimbabwe’s leading artists (several of whose sons and daughters also sculpt). For several years Godfrey stayed with and worked with Claud Nyanhongo, mostly in Chitungwiza, a dormitory town about 20 kilometres from Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. Since 1996, however, he has been working on his own and has established himself as an artist capable of creating powerful and expressive sculptures.
His subject matter is taken mostly from the natural world. Animals, birds and human figures, sometimes interacting in portrayals that reflect Shona ancestral spirit beliefs, are often sculpted by Kututwa. Through his sculptures Kututwa has found an eloquent means of expressing himself. “My work will stand for my voice to the world.” His sculptures speak clearly of his love for and closeness to the natural environment in which he grew up and of his awareness of traditional Shona culture and beliefs.
Since the early 1990’s his work has been exhibited in several of Zimbabwe’s leading galleries and in 1999 he travelled overseas for the first time when he was invited to attend a stone sculpture workshop in England.
Matombo Gallery's association with Godfrey began in the early 1990’s because of his connection with Claud Nyanhongo, one of Matombo Gallery’s featured artists, but his work has already shown itself to be worthy of exposure alongside Zimbabwe's major artistic talents, including other outstanding 'second generation' sculptors such as Norbert Shamuyarira and the late Brighton Sango.
MOSES MASAYA (1947-1995)
Moses Masaya was born in Nyanga in 1947, the son of a village headman. Like many other major sculptors, Masaya was influenced to sculpt by Joram Mariga, whose work he first saw in 1968. Two years later, he joined the rural community of sculptors at Vukutu, which had recently been established by Frank McEwen. McEwen invited Masaya to join established masters there because he considered him to be a young artist of tremendous promise.
Masaya, in common with other major Zimbabwean sculptors, readily acknowledged McEwen's role in creating an environment conducive to free and uninhibited artistic expression. He further credited McEwen with making him more aware of the sculptural possibilities of a piece of raw stone. According to Masaya, McEwen would encourage him to look carefully at the raw stone, asking, "What can you see in it?" McEwen would never attempt to suggest an answer. He would simply pose the question, leaving the artist to provide his own answer and to convert his own mental image into a sculpted form.
Masaya first came to prominence at the time of the Rodin Museum exhibition in 1971, as exhibition to which he made a significant contribution. Two years later at the time of McEwen's enforced departure from Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) in 1973, Masaya was a young artist on the threshold of his career. He probably suffered more than most as result of McEwen's departure and the subsequent break-up of the Vukutu Community. He managed to survive the difficulties (political, economic, social and artistic) of the 1970s, however, and re-emerged in the post-independence period as a mature artist who fulfilled his early promise. A quiet, modest, reflective person his untimely death at the age of 48 robbed Zimbabwe of one of its finest artistic talents.
NORBERT SHAMUYARIRA (1962 -
Born in 1962 in the Chinhoyi District of Zimbabwe, Norbert Shamuyarira began sculpting at the age of 17 after a chance encounter with Bernard Takawira. For four years Shamuyarira worked with Takawira, but since 1984 he has lived and worked on his own.
Shamuyarira's sculptures, like those of Takawira, are characterised by a respect for the shape of stone. His sculptures are rarely opened up or deeply carved. The characteristic shape is a rounded softness with human forms being suggested rather than clearly defined.
Family tragedies have profoundly influenced much of Shamuyarira's work, which frequently has themes that relate to human relationships and personal feelings. The pieces are an artistic response to deeply felt emotions. Through his sculpture, Shamuyarira has discovered an eloquent and lasting means of self-expression. Feelings of sadness and insecurity often are present in his work, as evidenced not only by the sculptural forms he creates, but also by their titles: The Sufferer, Sad Widow, Too Shy for This World, Born to Cry.
DePaul University Art Gallery Curator, Riva Feshbach, newly introduced to his work wrote of how "the misfortunes of his life and of his fellow Zimbabweans have been transformed into universally powerful sculptures showing frequently faceless humanoid forms in postures of submission and sorrow."
Shamuyarira has instinctively shown an acute awareness of the qualities of his chosen medium. "Let stone be stone", is a time-honoured tradition of the great carver-sculptors from Michelangelo to Brancusi to Moore, and it is a tradition to which Shona sculptors such as Shamuyarira remain ever faithful.
RICHARD MTEKI (1947 -
Born in Harare in 1947, Richard's elder brother Boira was one of the first of the Zimbabwean sculptors whose work astounded the international art world when it first emerged about 30 years ago.
Following his brothers' footsteps, and influenced by his example and success, Mteki joined the Workshop School of the National Gallery. McEwen encouraged Mteki, as he had other talented artists who came to his Workshop School at that time, and it was during this period - the late 1960's - that his work first attracted public attention.
Mteki is much influenced by the natural shape of the raw stone. He rarely disturbs this natural shape to any significant extent. His approach invariably is to etch deeply into the surface of the stone to create the features of his human, animal or other subjects.
His most common subject is the human form, and his preferred medium is brown serpentine. Despite his economical style, Mteki's works, though compact and solid, express much mood and emotion. Invariably they have a peaceful, restful quality.
It is perhaps because Mteki's sculptures have a calming impact on the viewer that they are so universally popular. Great sculptures may sometimes disturb the viewer, may sometimes provoke strong reactions because of their style or subject matter, but they do not have to - and Mteki's do not. They are serene, they soothe the mind.
Mteki's talent has been widely recognised. In 1983 he was commissioned to sculpt the 'Zimbabwe Bird' - a two metre high sculpture that graces the entrance to Zimbabwe's National Sports Stadium. Also in the 1980's, a Mteki was selected for presentation to the President of Nigeria and another one for presentation to the Prime Minister of India.
SHEPHARD MADZIKATIRE (1970-
Born in the Rusape district of Zimbabwe Madzikatire's first introduction to art came when he met and was inspired by Job Kekana who had long enjoyed a reputation as one of Zimbabwe's finest sculptors in wood.
His introduction to stone carving came in 1988 when he went to stay with his cousin the late Moses Masaya one of Zimbabwe's finest 'Shona sculptors'. Since then his career has developed in a manner that is typical for young sculptors in Zimbabwe (i.e. working with and learning from an established artist).
Madzikatire's first sculptures were inevitably stylistically derivative of his mentor, Moses Masaya. But in recent years Madzikatire has shown increasing evidence that he has the creative vision of an artist. His recent sculptures indicate the talent of a young artist who is becoming increasingly confident of his own creative ability and his technical mastery of his chosen medium.
In 1998 Matombo Gallery included his work in an international group exhibition for the first time - exhibiting his works alongside several of Zimbabwe's acknowledged masters of Shona sculpture and his work was not out of place at such an exhibition.
His subject matter to date remains within the mainstream of Shona sculpture. Human and animal forms and reference to Shona society, culture and beliefs are a common source of inspiration. As Madzikatire himself has commented: "People socialising, being involved with the natural world and also with the spirits, which are our guardians. These are part of what I see when I look at a stone. I then have to use my talent and knowledge for them to emerge from the stone".
Madzikatire's sculptures have been exhibited in galleries in England, Holland, Germany and Sweden as well as the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.
SYLVESTER MUBAYI (1942 -
Sylvester Mubayi was born in 1942 in the Chiota District, east of Harare. He left school at the age of 16, but it was 11 years later that his life changed direction when he met Tom Blomefield, who offered him the chance to try his hand at sculpture at Tengenenge.
After a brief stay at Tengenenge, Mubayi left for Harare where he sought the help of Frank McEwen and worked for a while at the Workshop School. McEwen subsequently wrote of Mubayi, "He carves with consummate skill, knowledge and an innate feeling for stone."
Mubayi believes in a world of spirits, of supernatural forces. He feels that spirits communicate with us either in an invisible way, as in dreams, or temporarily via living mediums. Mubayi's spiritual reality is often expressed as metamorphosis, by fusing human and animal forms. Such transitional states form a great part of traditional Shona belief; a man temporarily changes into an animal or a spirit possesses an animal.
Characteristics of Mubayi's style are rounded, self-contained silhouettes and highly polished surfaces. His faces usually have an innocent, simple expression. Within the concave area between the eyebrows and the protruding full lips are set almond-shaped eyes and the nose. Large ears and a big, hemispherical forehead complete the face. He sometimes uses holes to open up the shape of the stone without weakening the flowing rhythm of his sculptures. He has been a major contributor to the reputation of Shona sculpture since he won the Ernst Oppenheimer Award in South African in 1969 and was described by a leading French critic as "the best" at the Musee Rodin exhibition in Paris in 1971.
NESBERT MUKOMBERANWA (1969 -
Nesbert Mukomberanwa was born in Buhera district in the Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. He first began stone carving at the age of 14 but his serious involvement with sculpting began in 1987 under the guidance of his uncle, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, one of Zimbabwe's foremost artists. Nesbert stayed with his uncle for two years at his Ruwa farm benefiting from the opportunity to learn from and work alongside an acknowledged master.
Since 1989 he has been working independently and has in recent years shown increasing evidence of his own creative talent. He can now justifiably be counted amongst the most significant talents of Zimbabwe's 'second (or post - independence) generation' of sculptors.
Most commonly his sculptures are figurative, incorporating smooth rounded forms, and miniaturised heads. As with all genuinely talented sculptors, he is clearly comfortable with his chosen medium, recognising and harnessing its qualities in the creation of his sculptural forms. This ability is particularly evident in works which incorporate the stone's natural rough texture with the smooth polished surfaces that are his own creation.
The harmony between the artist and his medium is also much in evidence in more recent abstract forms and provide a further indication of this young artist's developing talent. Mukomberanwa's talent is increasingly gaining recognition through participation in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe's annual Heritage Exhibitions as well as exhibitions in Germany, Belgium, the United States and South Africa. Matombo Gallery's association with Nesbert began in 1996 and he has already shown himself capable of ranking alongside Zimbabwe's other outstanding 'second generation' sculptors such as Norbert Shamuyarira and the late Brighton Sango.
NICHOLAS TANDI (1948-
Nicholas was born 1948 in the Bindura district of Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia). At that time educational opportunities for Africans were limited and Nicholas was only able to complete his primary schooling.
When he left school in 1964 he enrolled as a student at the Nyarutsetso Art Centre. He was accepted as a student on the basis of the woodcarvings that he had been making. The Nyarutseto Art Centre was run by the late Canon Patterson, an Anglican priest who did much to encourage artistic talent amongst young Africans. Nicholas remained there for 3 years before embarking on his full time career as a sculptor.
Nicholas is the eldest of 3 brothers all of whom are sculptors of note. Nicholas was the first to start sculpting, followed by his youngest brother James and then by his other brother Lazarus.
Nicholas has established a reputation as one of Zimbabwe’s best carvers of ‘fine art’. From 1978 to 1985 he was frequently in South Africa working for an art dealer in Johannesburg. But he prefers to work in his home country of Zimbabwe, which is where he is now based. He carves both heads and animals, but his preference is for the human form. He works in a variety of hard stones, but most often verdite is his stone of choice.
Nicholas’ works have been widely exhibited, especially in Southern Africa and Europe and his collectors are to be found on every continent.
Nicholas is married and has four sons and one daughter. Two of his sons began sculpting, but adverse circumstances in Zimbabwe forced them to abandon this and they are now living in England.
MATTHEW GIDI (1949 -
Matthew was born in 1949 in the Buhera district of Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia). He attended Chiturike primary school from 1959 to 1965.
In 1969 he went to stay with his cousin Milton Gidi in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s premier tourist resort, Milton was working there as a sculptor and Matthew was given his first lessons in carving by Milton. In 1971 he went to Harare (then Salisbury) were he worked for 6 months at Farai Art Centre in Mbare township.
From 1971 to 1974 Matthew worked in Kariba Village, another major tourist destination in Zimbabwe. Matthew carved the first ‘Nyami Nyami’ which is now a world famous symbol of Kariba and its dam. The ‘nyami nyami’ is a mythical creature – fish like with the head of a snake – which lives in Lake Kariba. Carvings of ‘nyami nyami are intricate wooden carvings often made in the form of walking sticks. From Kariba Matthew went briefly back to Victoria Falls and then had a short spell in Bulawayo before returning to Harare where he worked from 1975 to 1980.
From 1980 to 1984 he worked for an art dealer in Bulawayo, who, in 1984, took Matthew to Germany where he stayed and sculpted for three months.
In Matthew’s much traveled career he next went to Botswana for two years before moving on to South Africa where he stayed and worked from 1987 until 2002. Since that time he has been back in Zimbabwe where he now works with three other well-established sculptors: Nicholas Tandi, Everisto Kakweza and Elliott Katombera.
Matthew has worked in both wood and stone, but now works almost exclusively in stone, mostly verdite. He is a versatile as well as a talented sculptor, but his most common subject is the human form – heads and figures.
Matthew is married and has two sons and five daughters.
Matthew is married and has five children, three sons and two daughters.
EVERISTO KAKWEZA (1948-
Everisto was born in 1948 near All Souls Mission in the Mutoko District of North East Zimbabwe. He attended Musau School in Nyamapanda ,close to the border with Mozambique, from 1960 to 1969.
He started sculpting in 1972 at The Farai Art Centre in Harare and worked there until 1975. As a young aspiring sculptor he was encouraged and assisted by Casper Darare (who also taught Samson Charimari at about the same time).
Since then Everisto has established himself as one of the leading carvers of ‘fine art’ in Zimbabwe. He has during his career worked for several different companies involved in the promotion of Zimbabwean sculpture. His works have been sold to collectors throughout the world, but he himself has always remained working in Zimbabwe.
Everisto works together with Nicholas Tandi, Matthew Gidi and Elliott Katombera, all of them amongst Zimbabwe’s finest 'fine art' sculptors.
He is an accomplished carver of animals but the human form – both heads and figures are what he prefers and what he most frequently carves.
Everisto is divorced. (He had two wives, but divorced them both at the same time in the late 1980’s.) He has seven surviving children.
SAMSON CHARIMARI (1957-
Samson was born in 1957 in Harare (then Salisbury), the third son in a family of six. He completed his primary and secondary education in Highfield Township, a high-density suburb of Harare.
There was no family involvement in the arts, his father was a builder and his mother a nurse, but his first introduction to sculpting was in 1968 from the late Canon Patterson at Nyarutsetsa Art Centre when still a schoolboy.
He only really started carving in 1974 when he began working with, and learning from, Luton Chimanikire, Casper Darare and Frank Mukayesango. He started by making chess sets and small animals and subsequently moved on to his preferred subject of human heads.
At various times he has worked for local Zimbabwean companies and individuals involved in marketing Zimbabwean carvings internationally and his works have been sold to collectors in every continent.
At present he works in a cooperative of sculptors based at Highfield Community Centre, where he is one of the senior members.
Samson is married and has three children, two daughters and one son.
ELLIOTT KATOMBERA (1974-
Elliott was born in 1974 in Norton, about 40 kilometres west of Harare. He completed his secondary education up to ‘O’ level. His father had been a wood carver – though making useable items such as wooden bowls, rather than items of artwork for sale. Elliott was also encouraged and inspired to become a sculptor by his cousin Robert Chimungwa who is a full time sculptor now based in South Africa
When he left school he went to work with Nicholas Tandi and Richard Chiwasa, two established sculptors. He soon showed that he had a talent and rapidly established himself as a successful sculptor.
Since 1997 he has made frequent working visits to South Africa were his work has been much in demand. He specializes in heads and busts, and most frequently uses verdite. He also likes to sculpt in wonderstone, a stone found in South Africa (sometimes called ‘Africa stone’) and other hard stones such as butter jade and springstone. As with all of the best sculptors of ‘fine art’ Elliott’s work has a distinctive and recognizable style.
Elliott works together with Nicholas Tandi, his mentor, and Matthew Gidi and Everisto Kakweza, all of them amongst Zimbabwe’s finest ‘fine art’ sculptors.
Elliott’s works have been widely exhibited and collected in Africa, Europe, North America and Australia.
Elliott is married and has one daughter.
EMMANUEL CHIKUMBIRIKE (1971-
Born 1971 in Muzarabani in the Zambezi valley in northern Zimbabwe.
Emmanuel comes from a family of sculptors. The Chikumbirike family name is perhaps the best known amongst the ‘fine art’ carvers of Zimbabwe. Emmanuel is probably unique amongst Zimbabwean sculptors of note in that he has a university degree. (In contrast with a great many carvers in Zimbabwe, who took up carving because they were unable to complete their education or were unable to secure regular employment.)
Despite completing his secondary school education and going on to the University of Zimbabwe – graduating in 1993 with a degree in economics – Emmanuel remained determined to follow the well trodden family path of sculpting. Initially his family was keen for him to get a good education and be able to get a good job outside of sculpting, but eventually the family involvement in sculpting proved too strong for him to resist.
When he completed his university studies he was taught to sculpt by his brothers Thomas and Gladmore. He began by carving animals, especially elephants, something which he says took him 2 years to master.
In 1996 he was introduced to a dealer who was mainly interested in wood sculptures and Emmanuel began carving in wood. At much the same time he began carving the human form, especially heads and busts. Within a couple of years he was working exclusively on this subject matter, still using both wood and stone.
In 1997 he took up a teaching post at Lord Malvern High School in Harare, still carving in his spare time, but the attraction of carving proved too strong and at the end of 1999 he returned to full-time sculpting.
Since then Emmanuel has continued with his chosen career as a sculptor. His focus remains on heads and busts and his preference is for larger pieces. He now works exclusively in stone, preferring the hard black springstone.
Emmanuel is married and his wife assists with the marketing of his work.
