NORBERT SHAMUYARIRA

Born in 1962 in the Chinhoyi District of Zimbabwe, Norbert Shamuyarira began sculpting at the age of 17 after a chance encounter with Bernard Takawira. For four years Shamuyarira worked with Takawira; since 1984 he has lived and worked on this own.

Shamuyarira’s sculptures, like those of Takawira, are characterized by a respect for the shape of the stone. His sculptures are rarely opened up or deeply carved. The characteristic shape is a rounded softness with human forms being suggested rather than clearly defined.

Family tragedies have profoundly influenced much of Shamuyarira’s work, which frequently has themes that relate to human relationships. The pieces are an artistic response to deeply felt emotions. through his sculpture, Shamuyarira has discovered an eloquent and lasting means of self-expression. Feelings of sadness and insecurity often are present in his work, as evidenced not only by the sculptural forms he creates but also by their titles: The Sufferer, Sad Widow, Too Shy For this World, Born to Cry.

Shamuyarira has instinctively shown an acute awareness of the qualities of his chosen medium. “Let stone be stone, ” is a time-honored tradition of great carver-sculptors from Michelangelo to Brancusi to Moore, and it is a tradition to which Shona sculptors such as Shamuyarira remain ever faithful.