Henry Munyaradzi

"Shy Girl" Serpentine 13" x 4" x 5"

"Known simply as "Henry," he was born in Sipolilo in Northern Zimbabwe in 1931. He had no schooling and spent his youth herding cattle and hunting game, as is customary for many rural African boys. In his early 20's he became the village blacksmith, before moving on to a European farming community. He worked there as a painter, carpenter, hunter and tobacco grader.

At the age of 36, after seeing sculptors at work for the first time, he joined the art community of Tom Blomefield at the Tengenenge Farm. Henry has become one of the most widely known Shona sculptors and his work has been recognized with acclaim throughout the world. His strength lies in his purity of form and his uncanny ability to exactly pin point the essence of his subject matter in the simplest of terms. Being self-taught, his work blends the simplicity of the primitive with stylized sophistication. He expresses contemplation and spirit."

Courtesy of the Matombo Gallery
Harare, Zimbabwe