arthur manyengedzo
was born on 23 April 1979 in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, into a family of four. My parents divorced when I was young, so I grew up with my mother and her relatives. I started doing arts at the age of ten, when I used to mould clay into animals and pots.
When I was nineteen, I started stone sculpting. I was inspired by Ronnie Dongo, son of Joseph Ndandarika. I worked with Ronnie for a year and also with prominent new artists from Chapungu such as Ignatius Zhuwakiyi.
I faced problems during my early days. I did not have tools and raw stones, so I used to borrow from the other artists until I bought my own. Through that courage and devotion, that is how I got to where I am today.
Authur's work has been featured in galleries in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Australia and Korea, amongst others. He has a strong personal style, often subtly incorporating political and social critique, and deserves international recognition.