Artist Biographies

Edson Seda

Edson Seda is a stone sculptor from the village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Taylor Nkomo

Taylor Nkomo is a stone sculptor who currently carves in Harare. He is a second generation carver.

Bywell Sango

Born on the 28^th of November 1979. Bywell loves art so much and he was born from a sculpting family. Coming from guruve the land of spring stone and serpentines, he has managed to experiment and pass out all his artistic abilities from the age of 8 to the age of 19 years. Now in his more than 20 years sculpting experience, his art has has been received world at large. Clients from USA, China and Middle East to a greater extent like his abstract art. Bywell is now known for sculpting his Abstract cubic Style, which has also become his specialty.

Maudy Muhoni

Maudy is one of the few female carvers. She is from the rural village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Nimrod Phiri

Nimrod is from the village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Douglas Shawa

Douglas is known for working on extremely large carvings. He is from the village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Amali Malola

Amali was an active carver well past the age of 101. He was an enduring presence at Tengenenge for well over a century.

Arthur Fata

Arthur is a well-respected stone carver who works in Ruwa, just outside of Harare, Zimbabwe.

Josiah Manzi

Josiah is one of the few 1st Generation carvers still practicing. He lives in the rural village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Kilara Malola

Kilara is from the northern Zimbabwe village of Tengenenge.

Kamurai Kavhu

Kamurai is one of the few women carvers from Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Stabben Masakara

Stabben in an artist from the village of Tengenenge in northern Zimbabwe.

Taguma Mukomberanwa

Taguma learned from the master. He is the youngest son of Nicholas Mukomberanwa. He lives on his father's old farm in Ruwa, Zimbabwe.

Floyd Zambuko

Floyd is a wire and bead artist from Zimbabwe. He is currently living in Johannesburg, South Africa with his family. Many of the wire and bead animals we sell were made by Floyd.

Tawanda Makore

Tawanda is a stone sculptor who lives in Harare, Zimbabwe

Angeline Masuku

Angeline Masuku is a master weaver from the Zulu people in South Africa. She lives and works in the traditional village of Hlabisa. She was only eight years old when her aunt taught her how to weave baskets. Almost immediately her aunt and various collectors recognized Angeline’s technical skill.

By the age of 18, Angeline was creating her own unique basket designs. In 1995 Angeline began supplying baskets to the African Art Centre in Durban.

In 2007 Angeline was given an opportunity to attend an international trade fair in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since then she has participated in other trade fairs in the United States, as well as in Germany, Italy and Kuwait. Santa Fe is still her favorite and the trade fair that provided the most recognition.

Zulu basket weaving has been passed on from grandmothers and mothers to daughters for generations.

While Angeline’s basket weaving is embedded in traditional Zulu culture and she uses the same weaving techniques, materials and natural dyes, her contemporary shapes and bold designs are totally original. "You have to look to yourself for inspiration," she says.

To weave she uses sustainably harvested Ilala palm wrapped around a core of Ukhasi grass. The palm fronds are colored using natural dyes: Boiled leaves of the Umthombothi tree makes black; Umnqandane, a grape-like wild plant gives a light brown color; and to create grey the grass is soaked for days in water with rusted tin cans.

Angeline works with her daughter Nokukhanya and a group of about 15 siblings and nieces who have all been trained by her. Even though some of them live in far-flung villages they all come to her homestead to work.

Perlagia Mutyavaviri

Perlagia is a stone sculptor from Zimbabwe. She lives outside of Chitungweza, Zimbabwe.

Tendai Mukomberanwa

Tendai is the son of the brilliant 1st generation artist, Nicholas Mukomberanwa.

Gift Bangura

Gift is one of the elders at Tengenenge, the sculpture community in northern Zimbabwe.

Prosper Chiroodza

Prosper is from the northern village of Tengenenge in Zimbabwe.

Michael Kasvince

Michael is a stone sculptor from the village of Tengenenge.

Confidence Zinyeka

Confidence is a very promising young carver from Harare.

Tapfuma Muzamba

Tapfuma is a young stone sculptor from Harare, Zimbabwe. Tapfuma was born August 8, 1993.

Zenzo Muzamba

Zenzo is one of the youngest artists we have. He is a stone sculptor from Harare, Zimbabwe. Zenzo was born August 31, 1995.

Freddy Monya

Freddy is a metal artist from Zimbabwe.

Kgotso Phasa

Kgotso Phasha (Tswana) was born September 9, 1993, in the town of Schweizer-Reneke in the North West province of South Africa. As a teenager, Kgotso took an interest in welding. His mentor encouraged him to begin creating tables and benches using his welded steel bases and South African wood tops. It was immediately clear that he had a gifted eye for design and the proper proportions for furniture. Using responsibly sourced wood from fallen or damaged trees sold by SANParks (South African National Parks), he acquired raw planks to create his special brand of furniture. Kgotso prefers to allow the natural shape of the wood to help determine the design, creating unique pieces that emphasize the live edges. The polishing of the wood allows for the grain to add character to the tabletop. As a way of encouraging the restoration of indigenous forests, Kgotso has supported the replanting of yellowwood trees throughout South Africa. He lives in the Kensington neighborhood of Johannesburg with his mother and two brothers.

Tutani Mgabazi

Tutani is a stone sculptor from Mvurwi, Zimbabwe born on the 3rd of March 1975 in Guruve Mashonaland Central Province in Zimbabwe. He is the second child born in a family of eight. From a young age, he has always had an interest in arts and crafts. He began sculpting at the age of 7. During the school holidays, he would spend his time with his uncle Francis Mugavazi a first-generation sculptor. Under the mentorship of his uncle Francis, Tutani was sculpting collectable pieces by the age of 13. Realising that he had an innate talent his family supported Tutani emotionally and financially. At the age of 15years, he later introduced Tom Bloomfield and was exposed to the potential sculpting career. He chose to continue with his high school education but continued sculpting and developing his skills. He refined his craft, such that several of his pieces were displayed at the Zimbabwe art gallery before he completed high school. Soon after high school, Tutani went on to host a 2-man exhibition with his uncle Francis at the Ramabo Gallery. It is from this point that Tutani’s career blew up. He gained recognition in the sculpting community and the global community.
Achievements and exhibitions
1992- Set-up the Gavazi Art Centre
1993- Exhibition at the Ramambo Gallery a Two-man exhibition
2000- Represented Zimbabwe at the 5th International Sculpture Symposium in Obemkirchen, Germany
2002-Invited sculptor at the Spirit in stone SAP Headquarters in Germany.
2002-2003- Participated in the annual Munhumutapa art gallery sculpting workshop in South Africa
2003- Participated in the Shamwari Art Gallery workshop in Oakland, California, In the United States of America.
2004-2005- Participated in the annual Munhumutapa art gallery sculpting workshop in South Africa
2006- Represented Zimbabwe in the International Obemkirchen sculpture symposium
2009- Exhibited at the Earth to Spirit gallery Kingstone Ontario in Canada
2010- Exhibited and participated at the Cornart Workshop Montekarato Italy
2015- Represented Zimbabwe in the International Obemkirchen sculpture symposium

Morgen Jamu

Morgen Jamu is a 2nd Generation sculptor from Zimbabwe. We lives in Mvurwi, Zimbabwe.

Lawrence Manwere

Lawrence is a young artist from Mvurwi, Zimbabwe. He was born on January 3, 1987, at Norowe Farm in Mvurwi town. He was drawn to sculpture at a young age since the farm was close to the Tutani and Mugavazi art centers. He went to Gesta Primary for his primary education. In 1999, he began learning to sculpt from his uncle Musekiwa Musendani, who died a year later. At that point, he abandoned sculpting and focused on his studies. He attended his high school at Crowmines school in Mutoroshanga and spent his weekends helping sculptors mine raw stone for pieces at the Crowine mine, a trade he eventually took up after high school. He later graduated from miner to stone-washer for the sculptor Kapenda Tembo. Kapenda rekindled his passion for sculpting and took on the role of mentor, teaching Lawrence what he knew over the course of two years. Following that, he was welcomed by Benjamin Musendami and served as his assistant for three years. During those three years, Lawrence and Musendami collaborated with other sculptors to establish the Marovadombo art center and, later, the Mvuwri art center, where he now resides.
Lawrence is now a well-established artist, and his work is influenced by his narrative as well as social and cultural events, trends, and animals. He uses his work to tell a story about social injustice, gender inequity, and love. He is popular for his family pieces and big five abstracts.

Enkosi Madzimbire

Enkosi is a stone sculptor from Mvurwi, Zimbabwe.

Try Gora

Try Gora was born on May 23, 1981, into a family of two children. He finished his primary school education at Chipangura Primary School in Guruve when he was 13 years old. This was his first introduction to the world of stone sculpture. He spent a lot of time in the mines at Gavazi Art Centre along the Great Dyke, where he met other artists, notably Kudakwashe kamuni, a third-generation sculptor who encouraged him to start sculpting tiny works. He continued with his education and proceeded to high school from 1994-1998. He then worked as a general hand for Mvuwri Town Council. Try, who was born an artist, returned to the Gavazi art center. He began his career as an assistant to his instructor, Gerald Mugavazi. He was his tutor and taught him the fundamentals of sculpture. A few years later, he launched his solo career at the Artist to Artist art center, where he met Tutani Mugavazi and Benjamin Musendami. Try and Tutani founded the Marovadombo Art Gallery alongside Enkosi Madzivire and Knowledge Manuel, creating a platform for diverse artists to exhibit their work. The center drew artists from all walks of life, necessitating the need for a larger facility. Try and ten other artists founded the Mvuwri Art Centre. Try doubles in the abstract; his work is heavily influenced by nature, particularly trees, aquatic creatures, birds, and animals. His art needs a keen eye to understand its significance.