The Shona people are a Bantu ethnic group native to Southern Africa, primarily living in Zimbabwe where they form the majority of the population, as well as Mozambique, South Africa, and a worldwide diaspora. There are five major Shona language/dialect clusters: Manyika, Karanga, Zezuru, Korekore, and Ndau.
Francis Jack McEwen, OBE was an English artist, teacher, and museum administrator. He is best remembered today for his efforts to bring attention to the work of Shona artists in Rhodesia, and for helping to found the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. He was awarded the OBE in 1963.
Nicholas Mukomberanwa, was a Zimbabwean sculptor and art teacher. He was among the most famous protégés of the Workshop School at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. He was a mentor to the Mukomberanwa Family of sculptors. Mukomberanwa married his first wife, sculptor Grace, in 1965 and they had eight children. In 1965, he decided to end his career with the police to become a sculptor full-time. He continued to hone his skills over the following decade, developing one of the most distinctive personal styles found in his generation of Zimbabwean stone sculptors. The gambit paid off, and by the late 1970s and in the 1980s his work was being shown in many venues. His work has been exhibited in galleries around the world. He also became mentor to many artists in Zimbabwe, including his children Anderson Mukomberanwa, Ennica Mukomberanwa, Lawrence Mukomberanwa, Netsai Mukomberanwa, Taguma Mukomberanwa,Tendai Mukomberanwa and nephew, Nesbert Mukomberanwa who are also sculptors. He remains one of Zimbabwe's most famous artists.
Ennica Mukomberanwa is a Zimbabwean sculptor. The daughter of Grace Mukomberanwa and Nicholas Mukomberanwa, she was trained by the first generation of sculptures. Her work is exhibited in private collections and at galleries around the world. She is a third generation Zimbabwean sculptor. In 2004, she was awarded a prize which allowed her to travel to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Scotland, and Canada. She is a member of the Mukomberanwa family of sculptors. She is the daughter of Grace Mukomberanwa and Nicholas Mukomberanwa, who served as her mentor. She is the sister of sculptors Anderson, Netsai, Taguma, Tendai Mukomberanwa and Lawrence Mukomberanwa, and the cousin of Nesbert Mukomberanwa.
Bernard Matemera was a Zimbabwean sculptor. The sculptural movement of which he was part is usually referred to as "Shona sculpture", although some of its recognised members are not ethnically Shona. His whole professional career was spent at the Tengenenge Sculpture Community, 150 km north of Harare near Guruve.
Joram Mariga has been called the “Father of Zimbabwean Sculpture” because of his influence on the local artistic community starting in the 1950s and continuing until his death in 2000. The sculptural movement of which he was part is usually referred to as “Shona sculpture”, although some of its recognised members are not ethnically Shona.
John Takawira, was a Zimbabwean sculptor. The background to the sculptural movement of which he was a leading member is given in the article on Shona art.
Henry Munyaradzi, also known as Henry Munyaradzi Mudzengerere, was a Zimbabwean sculptor. The sculptural movement of which he was part is usually referred to as "Shona sculpture", although some of its recognised members are not ethnically Shona. He worked initially at the Tengenenge Sculpture Community, 150 km north of Harare near Guruve, which he joined in 1967. In that Community, and ultimately in the wider world of lovers of Zimbabwean art, he was known simply as 'Henry'.
Square Chikwanda is a Zimbabwean sculptor, living and working in Harare, Zimbabwe. He first learned his art from his father, also a Zimbabwean sculptor.
Joseph Ndandarika was a Zimbabwean sculptor known for his figurative works.
Colleen Madamombe (1964–2009) was a Zimbabwean sculptor working primarily in stone. Her work expresses themes of womanhood, motherhood, and tribal Matriarchy.
Coster Balakasi is a Zimbabwean sculptor.
Fanizani Akuda (1932–2011), also known as Fanizani Phiri, was a Zimbabwean sculptor. He was a member of the sculptural movement "Shona sculpture", although he and some others of its recognised members were not ethnically Shona. He worked initially at the Tengenenge Sculpture Community, 150 km north of Harare near Guruve, which he joined in 1966.
Sylvester Mubayi was a Zimbabwean sculptor.
Zimbabwean art includes decorative esthetics applied to many aspects of life, including art objects as such, utilitarian objects, objects used in religion, warfare, in propaganda, and in many other spheres. Within this broad arena, Zimbabwe has several identifiable categories of art. It is a hallmark of African cultures in general that art touches many aspects of life, and most tribes have a vigorous and often recognisable canon of styles and a great range of art-worked objects. These can include masks, drums, textile decoration, beadwork, carving, sculpture, ceramic in various forms, housing and the person themselves. Decoration of the body in permanent ways such as scarification or tattoo or impermanently as in painting the body for a ceremony is a common feature of African cultures.
Sculpture and in particular stone sculpture is an art for which Zimbabwe is well known around the world.
Tendai Mukomberanwa is a Zimbabwean sculptor. The son of Grace Mukomberanwa and Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Tendai worked with his father from age 10 in his early childhood days. His artwork has been sold and exhibited worldwide. He continues sculpting at the family studios in Ruwa.
Tengenenge is a community of artists and their families located in the Guruve District of Zimbabwe. It has achieved international recognition because of the large number of sculptors who have lived and worked there since 1966. These include Fanizani Akuda, Bernard Matemera, Sylvester Mubayi, Henry Munyaradzi and Bernard Takawira.
Ronika Tandi is a Zimbabwean sculptor.
