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Mariga, Walter

Walter Mariga carves his distinctive sculptures using the hardest and most beautiful Zimbabwean stones. His work is exhibited internationally in the UK, US, Europe and Japan, as well as in Canada. Walter served his apprenticeship with his father, Joram Mariga, who is considered to be the 'father' of the current Shona sculpting movement. This connects Walter directly to the first generation of Shona sculptors and so his art is unique -displaying a mastery of both traditional and contemporary forms. 

The Mariga family is originally from Nyanga, a beautiful mountainous region near the border with Mozambique in eastern Zimbabwe. Walter currently lives and works from his home and studio in the capital, Harare, but frequently returns to Nyanga both for inspiration and to access the quality and variety of stone available there. 
Walter's mother Anna was also an accomplished sculptor in her own right. From this remarkable lineage he was born in 1973, second of five children (four boys and a girl). He greatly admired his parents. His home was his art school and his father proved to be an exceptional, if demanding, mentor, who from the outset encouraged all of his children to sculpt using the hardest stones. 

At the age of 12, Walter began to appreciate stone and to handle tools by 'shaping' raw stone to create forms that were less complete sculptures than explorations of form. He was quick to learn and his talent blossomed early. By the age of 17 Walter was carving full time. 

Women are and always have been a recurring theme in Walter's work. He uses images of women and intimacy to celebrate universal themes of love, nature, beauty and emotion. Nature, and birds in particular, are also celebrated in his sculptures as symbols of power, majesty and freedom. 

Walter's international debut came in 1994 through his association with the Chapungu Sculpture Gallery in Harare. He was chosen to participate in a workshop organized by the government of Japan. It provided him with a valuable opportunity to sculpt black granite alongside Japanese master sculptor Masaji Asaga. 

Like his father before him, Walter continues to include a passion for sharing his knowledge of sculpture as an important part of his art practice. Through the Gallerie de Porcherie in Tilburg, Holland he has conducted a number of workshops since 2005. Walter also led a number of workshops, for all ages and skill levels, during his residency with ZimArt in 2015. 

In 1999 Walter married his wife Fiencer and they immediately began a collaboration that resulted in the creation of what he calls the "real sculptures," their children Nigel, Walter Jr. and Adaeze. 
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Chiwawa, Vengai

Vengai Chiwawa was born in 1975 in Guruve, a region with a strong stone sculpting tradition. His father, Edward Chiwawa, is a respected first generation sculptor. Vengai started to carve his own small sculptures at the age of seven, and says he "turned professional" at the age of 15. He now works from his home studio in Chitungwiza.

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Vengai explains that his work is deeply influenced by woman because of the important role they play in society and because "women represent a vital life force whose strength, resilience and gentleness must be respected." He also believes that there is much which still needs to be done to improve women's lives and he hopes his art will contribute to that goal. As an artist with deeply held religious beliefs Vengai feels that art must be a force for good. 


The stone itself is a great source of inspiration to Vengai, who was taught by his father to see and preserve the life that is in each 
piece of stone. 

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Vengai's expressive and beautifully executed sculptures are full of emotion. He explores philosophical themes about the stages of life and the importance of memories. Vengai sees Zimbabwean sculptors as storytellers who celebrate and explore their culture as well as universal themes, though their work.

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Vengai has participated in a number of group exhibitions at The National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe and travelling international exhibits organized by Chapungu Sculpture Park. In 1999 he was invited to give sculpting workshops in Germany by Alzgalerie in Munich. Vengai has returned to Europe many times since then to lead workshops organized by galleries who represent him in Germany, Holland and Belgium. 


Vengai's sculptures have been purchased by galleries and collectors in Germany, the US, the UK, Holland, France, Belgium and Canada. 

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Mungandaire, Christopher


Chris Mungandaire was born in Nyanga in 1988. The last born of a family of eight, Chris started sculpting at the age of 14 when he was still in school. Simon Chidharara, a former artist-in-residence with ZimArt, was his most important mentor. “Simon is a wonderful artist,” Chris explains, “and he taught me to have confidence in my vision. He also encouraged me to stay in school.”


At age 16 Chris sold his first sculpture to a dealer from the US and, encouraged by this success, he never looked back.


In 2006 Chris was invited to join the Nyanga Art Centre, a small, dynamic arts cooperative, and he now works alongside 20 other sculptors. He enjoys sharing ideas with his fellow artists who he says have so much to teach him. Inspired by the colourful serpentines found in this region and by beauty of the environ-ment, Chris says his sculptures are all about everyday life and women in partic-ular. He observes: “I feel lucky to have found what he was meant to do in life.”


Chris’ gentle, contemplative sculptures have sold to collectors and galleries in the US, South Africa, Germany, the UK, The Netherlands and Canada.
ZimArt has represented Christopher in Canada since 2008.

 

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Madzikatire, Shephard 

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Shephard Madzikatire was born in 1970 in Rusape the capitol of Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. His interest in the arts started when he was still in primary school. He drew and painted numerous portraits of fellow students and staff which were often dis­played around the school. Shephard's first exposure to three-dimensional work was through moulding clay, which he also learned in primary school. 


By the time Shephard started his secondary education at St. Faith Mission School in Rusape he was experimenting with wood carving. He was inspired by South African artist Job Kekana's emotive wooden sculptures which are still very much sought after today. When he finished school his life took off in a new direction. 


In 1991 Shephard moved to Chitungwiza to stay with his cousin Moses Masaya (1949- 1995), one of the most prominent first-generation Zimbabwean stone sculptors. Shephard's two-year apprenticeship with Moses involved a good deal of one-on-one mentoring. He learned all the skills and techniques involved in using the different tools and working on the variety of beautiful stones available to sculptors in Zimbabwe. Shephard showed enormous talent from the outset. His creative ability and technical proficiency soon set him apart. 


In 1993 Shephard was invited to participate in his first group exhibition at the famous Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the UK. He was just 23 years old. Since then his work has been exhibited in numerous sculpture parks and galleries in SWeden, Germany, The Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Mozambique, Austria and the US. 


In 2009 Shephard was invited to teach sculpting workshops in Germany. He has re­turned most years since then to mentor both new and professional carvers. 
His sculptures tum towards more abstract and cubist forms: "My subjects are often hu­man and animal images which I carve to convey their relationship to African values, be they social, cultural or traditional beliefs. In most of my creations I get influenced by the shape of the stone but sometimes I have to change the whole stone to suit my feelings or my state of mind,· Shephard explains. 


In addition to the exhibitions Shephard has participated in internationally, his distinctive work has also sold to galleries across Europe and Asia. 
ZimArt started to represent Shephard in Canada in 2020. 

 

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Chitayo, Ishmael  

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Ishmael Chitiyo 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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Chingondi, Cosmas


Cosmas Chingondi was born in 1984 in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. He completed both his primary and secondary education in Glenview. His best subject was history and following his high school graduation Cosmas spent a year as an assistant history teacher at Bundiro High School. He considered going to teachers’ college but decided instead to pursue his passion for music. In 2005 he was invited to the Tengenenge Art Colony near the Zambian border where he played and taught mbira (a traditional instrument also known as a thumb piano).

Cosmas’ brother, Wellington, was already sculpting at Tengenenge and when Cosmas decided to learn how to sculpt Wellington became his first and most important mentor. Three other senior members of this art co-operative - Victor Fire, Josia Manzi and Cloudious Muhumba—also encouraged Cosmas and were part of an informal apprenticeship team. He said he fell in love with sculpting immediately!

In 2010 Cosmas participated in the German Embassy sponsored Kristin Diehl Competition for Young Sculptors. One of his sculptures was chosen for a Certificate of Excellence – an honour limited to only ten of the more than 300 works submitted. His prize included high quality tungsten tools which enabled Cosmas to start carving some of the harder stones.

Cosmas received his first invitation to Europe in 2013. After visiting Paris he travelled to Sainte Clement-sur-Guye where he taught complete beginners the basics of stone sculpting. He describes it as an amazing experience which deepened his approach to his own art practice. In 2015 he returned to Europe giving workshops in African culture in the Czech Republic, and stone sculpting workshops in Italy and Germany.

Cosmas now sculpts full time at Tengenenge. He continues to play mbira and always participates in the annual Harare Chamber Music Festival.

“I like sculpting,” Cosmas explains,” because there I find much freedom in expressing my feelings. The slow unseen movement in growing plants, birds and animals which I always try to express on a piece of stone. Also the relationship between animal life, plant life and human life. Only through sculpting can I see and feel the difference between life and death, between love and hatred, between sadness and joy. Thus, I realized I was born to sculpt and share my feeling with my friends and art lovers.” Cosmas frequently, but not always, chooses to work abstractly. Some of his works are extremely ornate and complex. He has sold to galleries and private collectors in the UK, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Italy, Netherlands, USA and Korea. ZimArt started to represent Cosmas in Canada in 2020.

Simon Chidharara

 

Simon Chidharara was born in 1980 in Mutare in Nyanga, a beautiful mountainous region with a strong sculpting tradition located near the Mozambique border. He started sculpting at the age of 11, apprenticing with his older brother Kenneth, who is also represented by ZimArt. Simon completed his secondary education before deciding that he wanted to pursue his passion for carving full time. Learning is still important to him and he is voracious reader. "Any topic interests me," he says. "Geography, history, science all influence human life and I like to find out more about what makes us do the things we do, and feel the way we feel." 

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Simon is one of the founding members of the Nyanga Arts Centre, a co-operative venture run by local artists in the Nyanga region. Having relocated to Chitungwiza 
following his residency with ZimArt in 2007, Simon is no longer a full time member but he remains connected to the Centre and still travels to Nyanga on a regular basis. He says the stone from the region is itself a vital source of inspiration to him and that he will always remain close to his rural roots. Indeed a strong influence in Simon's work is the natural world and man's connection to birds and animals. 

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When he came to Canada in 2007 Simon was the first third-generation artist from the Nyanga region to travel overseas to represent himself and present his work directly to an international audience. He has long been popular with Canadian collectors who are drawn to the expressive range in his sculptures and the emotional depth. Simon's subjects are frequently women or "feminine spirits," which are sometimes represented as mythical creatures. "Women are the centre of life," he explains, "So I like to celebrate everything about them." 

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Simon has participated in several group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Muta re. His work has been bought by galleries and collectors from Holland, the UK, the US, South Africa, Canada and Germany. Simon is the first artist to be invited back for a second residency with ZimArt (2013). 

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