Henry Munyaradzi

Henry Munyaradzi (1931-July, 1998) was a Zimbabwean sculptor.

A native of Guruve, Munyaradzi was the son of a spirit medium who left the family when he was young. He grew up herding cattle and hunting with dogs, spears, and bows and arrows. Munyaradzi never attended school, and struggled with the English language throughout his life. Eventually he became village blacksmith, and also worked as a carpenter and tobacco grader.

In 1967 Munyaradzi met Tom Blomefield and discovered the Tengenenge Sculpture Community. Through their influence he became a sculptor, remaining largely self-taught for his entire career. He left the Community to work on his own in 1975. He also taught; among the sculptors who worked with him was his cousin, Edward Chiwawa.

Munyaradzi first exhibited his work at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 1968, and soon gained worldwide recognition for his work, with eight one-man shows dedicated to him through his career. Following one of these, a 1984 show in London, he purchased a farm, where he lived and worked until his death.

Munyaradzi derived his subject matter from the natural world, combining it with Christian imagery and depicting it in an unusual, deeply personal fashion that frequently drew comparisons to the work of Paul Klee. His sculptures are in the collections of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and the Chapungu Sculpture Park. Munyaradzi died in 1998.

References

* [http://www.zimsculpt.com/artist.php?id=129 Biographical sketch]