​Contemporary South African Art

Ishmael Chitiyo

Ishmael Chitayo was born in 1982 in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. He is the youngest of eight children. His father was from Mozambique, and his mother, who died when he was only four years old, was from Zimbabwe. He describes his childhood as difficult and says their was no money for him to go to secondary school.

Ishmael describes his options when he left school as "limited" and so embraced  his cousin, Ignatius Zuwakiyi's, invitation to teach him how to sculpt. Ignatius, a very talented artist, was the first to encourage him. But Ishmael also credits his brother Solomon Chitiyo and senior  sculptors, Sylvester Mubayi and Richard Mupumha, with inspiring and mentoring him.

Ishmael joined the Chitungwiza Arts Centre in 2004. Two years later he was invited to participate  in a group exhibition entitled "Creativity and Originality," organized by the Centre.

In 2006 Ishmael received a Certificate of Excellence at a sculpture competition and exhibition co-sponsored  by German gallery owner, Kristen Diehl and the German Embassy in Harare.

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In 2007 Ishmael was a nominee in the 3D Visual Arts category for the National Arts Merit Award. NAMA Awards are among Zimbabwe's most sought after national awars for artists in all categories.

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To his great credit Ishmael developed his own style from the beginning, not imitating any of his mentors but rather exploring his own ideas, playing with concepts of light and dark and the many facets of the human condition.

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Ishmael's work has been exhibited in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and the US and Canada.

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