SAMUEL TICHAFA MASAKWA

Sam was born in 1971 on the 15th of September into a family of nine, he was educated at Zengeza 5 primary school and later Zengeza 4 High School.

Out of keen interest Sam started sculpturing at the tender age of 14. Nicolas Mukomberanwa and Albert Nathan Mamvura, who are Sam’s cousins and accomplished sculptures in their own right, through brotherly love helped nurture my interest in the art. During Sam’s school holidays Albert shaped his pending career as an artist by engaging Sam as his assistant. After Sam completed his O’levels in 1991 he started sculpturing full time at the Albert Workshop.

As an apprentice, Sam learnt how to carve Shona abstract, figures and heads. Sam studied under his cousins who helped him master the skills of straightening angles. Whilst he was working with Nicholas Mukomberanwa, Sam had a chance to learn how to work the clean hidden angles on hard stones like springstone, colbalt, serpentine and lemon opal. In 1996 Sam was advised to start working independently in order to explore the new avenues he was bringing into the field.

Sam discovered he now had his own trademark which needed nurturing, Joe Mutasa came to his aid with his Utopian finish on details.. I mastered his hand on tosses and various kinds of human figures inspired by his tall and thin pieces.

Once accomplished, Nyarai Musaka, Sam’s wife joined him as an apprentice in his workshop. As a team their art has grown in leaps and bounds, Nyarai emphasis in on lady figures, expressing woman activities in society. Together they had had successful exhibitions in Zimbabwe with private galleries and some workshops abroad especially in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and England.

Sam currently has a program for teaching young people to create sculptures to create employment.

© ArtnetAfrica 2004 ©