Shona Stone Carvings and African Art Sculptures

Shona and Other Artists From the Past

We are constantly on the lookout for new artists who create the stone carvings such as the ones shown in this Shona stone carving catalog. As we locate new artists we attempt to obtain information on their background, work, place of residence and similar personal items.  We have begun this biographical section to inform our customers as we obtain details on our artists and will continue to expand it on a regular basis.  In some instances there will be biographical material but no work of an individual currently in stock.  Please let us know if you are interested in the work of a particular artist and we will make every effort to obtain that person's work.

Shona Artists and Crafts People

HORNEST MACHOKOTO:  Machokoto was born in Masvingo, Zimbabwe on February 22, 1977.  Hornest and his father started carving in 1998 to earn their living.  They were taught by Gladman Zinyeka, a well known Shona artist who taught until his death in April 2000.  

Zinyeka was a specialist in creative art, teaching his scholars to use their imagination and make use of the Shona culture and family events such as births; deaths; weddings; planting and reaping of crops; and other daily occurences.

Machokoto presently sells his carvings to galleries and art centers throughout southern Africa and more recently in North America.  Machokoto is married, with one child. He strives to become as fine an artist as his teacher, Zinyeka.

ZACHARIAH NJOBO:  Njobo was born in September, 1962, in Birchenough Bridge, Zimbabwe.  He is a third generation sculptor, of the Ndau tribe, a group located in the area between the Shona in the north and the Ndebele in the south.

Njobo attended school but left before completing his matric because of financial constraints.  His uncle, a successful wood sculptor, encouraged Njobo's interest in sculpting.  He pursued it as a hobby until he moved to Harare in search of employment and discovered the Canon Paterson Art Centre, where young sculptors work and develop together.

Njobo is now a successful full-time sculptor.  His unique, distinctive style has brought him to the attention of buyers and collectors throughout the world.  His clean, efficient works have been displayed by a number of galleries worldwide.

CALEB SAMHERE:  Samhere is a member of the Manica tribe and was born in the Nyanga district of Zimbabwe in 1957.  His father had two wives, so Samhere has 16 brothers and sisters.  He completed his basic education at St. Columbus Mission School in the Honde Valley.  To supplement the family income Samhere began designing walking sticks and wooden plaques.  With no market for these fine products in his rural home area, he went to Chitungwiza to sell his work and was eventually apprenticed to Israel Chikumbirike, a well known sculptor.

Samhere studied fine art under Chikumbirike and specialized in carving busts of people.  He left Chikumbirike to work for a company that produced carved ivory, starting his own studio when the ban on ivory was introduced.   His current specialty is creating verdite stone heads and half figures.  He currently resides in Chitungwiza with his father and his father's family; along with his own wife and seven children.  Through his efforts as a sculptor, he provides support for his family and his parents

CHARLES RANZVENGA:  Ranzvenga is a member of the Shona tribe and his totem is the Shumba (lion). He grew up in a rural area where his grandfather was a blacksmith, making axes, hoes, and spears which were sold to the local community.

Ranzvenga's father was a peasant farmer who had great financial difficulty raising his five children but wished him to finish high school.  His grandfather on the other hand wanted Ranzvenga to become a blacksmith.  To solve the family dispute, Ranzvenga was sent to Harare to live with his brother Lazarus, a carver.  He met his present wife while in high school and she became pregnant while he was still at school.  Her bride price was $4,000 and the penalty for premarital pregnancy an additional seven head of cattle.  In order to support his new wife, Ranzvenga began working after school and on weekends for Chatambudza Mushinga, a local carver. He worked for Mushinga for three years.

After completing high school Ranzvenga apprenticed to Boniface Mashave, with whom he worked for the next five years, following which he successfully went on his own.  Like most artists he strives for fame and riches and realizes that this can best be achieved through sale of his carvings to the overseas market.

Ranzvenga lives in Waterfalls with his wife and three children in a house shared with his brother Lazarus.  His favorite stones are Opal, Wonderstone, and Springstone.  He enjoys carving birds but also carves "creations" and contemporary Shona art.  He and his brother purchase their raw stone direct from the quarries in Kwe Kwe, Concession, and Chiweshe.

RUSSEL DLAMINI:  Dlamini was born on May 2, 1958 in Barberton, South Africa.  He is married and lives with his wife and three children in a small community near Nelspruit, South Africa.

He attended the Khumbula Secondary School in South Africa and started drawing when he was 14 years old.  In 1976 Dlamini began specializing in the beautiful etchings that he now does on Verdite and occasionally other stone.

ELLIOT KATUMBIRE:  Katumbire was born in Mashonaland, Zimbabwe on August 28, 1974.  He attended school at Vimbai, where he did his primary school and completed his GCE, "O" level.

He started working with stone carvings at the age of 16.  He was mentored by splendid first generation sculptors such as Nicholas Tandi.  Katumbire now specializes in creating male and female busts.  He has worked in Serpentine, Springstone, Africa Stone, Butter Jade, Verdite, and Opal stone.  His work is exhibited and sold worldwide.

TAWANDA MAKORE:  Makore was born on August 8, 1979 in the Midlands province of Zimbabwe.  In Africa, families are generally identified with an animal or a bird as their totem.  Makore's totem is the shoko(monkey).  Akence Makore, his late uncle inspired him to become a sculptor and he started at an early age in Guruve, copying his elders.

In 1990 Makore's family migrated to Bulawayo in the Matebeleland province, where he continued carving, mainly during school holidays.  At that time he sold his work mainly to tourists at airport markets.

Living in the Ndebele society, he adopted their language and culture.  He introduced abstract forms to his friends and this gradually moved him into becoming an abstract expressionist.  He continued his studies under Zotoh Sango, a well known abstract expressionist.  By early 1997 Makore had sold a number of scupltures to private collectors and to the National Gallery in Bulawayo.  He is a member of the Friends of the National Gallery, better known as "vision sculptors."

Makore returned to his home in Guruve to care for his late uncle's homestead and two minor children until they reach adulthood.  He sources his raw stone from the hills surrounding this homestead.  These hills are rich in the well known Serpentine stone.  Makore also enjoys working with hard stones such as Springstone, Opal, and Cobalt, which are also found around Guruve.

Makore favors the carving of eagles, which are related to the ruling tribe in Shona belief.  He puts eagles into rock as he believes that they are going to become an endangered species.  Makore is something of a dreamer and sometimes draws on the clouds, the shona word for which is "makore."  When not carving, he can often be found lying under a tree, dreaming or gazing at the distant hills.

amaAfrika Karvings
544 Rainbow Terrace
Palmdale CA 93551
(818) 404-0932


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