Page Title

AM0347

73 kgs

Asking Help from the Spirit

830 x 530 x 240mm

£2000.00

AM0891

Mother and Twins

21kgs

570 x200 x 180

£950

AM0899

Helping Hand

46kgs

730 x 250 x 180mm

£1500

Born in the Buhera district of Zimbabwe in 1954, Albert Mamvura grew up in a rural environment. After leaving school he qualified as a carpenter and worked for several years with various construction companies.

His introduction to sculpting in stone came in 1975 from his cousin Nicholas Mukomberanwa, from whom he learned the basic techniques. Mamvura began to sculpt seriously on his own in 1977, and the following year had work accepted by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe for its annual exhibition. Since then he rapidly established himself as a significant artist in his own right.

The expression of social sentiment was perhaps Mamvura's most dominant theme. Frequently his sculptures incorporate figures closely entwined in a protective embrace. This sculptural reference to the close knit family relationship in Shona society is common in the works of a number of Zimbabwean artists, but none more so than in those of Mamvura.

Mamvura's works are readily identifiable by his portrayal of the human form, the facial features of which are invariably similar

in style. It is the juxtaposition of his figures rather than their features which vary.

This reflected his artistic concern with portrayals of Shona attitudes, customs and beliefs, rather than with the portrayal of a distinctive individual personality.

Although figurative works remained his staple artistic diet, a number of his later works showed a tendency toward abstraction. These works are testimony to Mamvura's range of vision

and creative skill, and to his unwithered natural sense of volume and rhythm.

Mamvura's death at the age of 43 robbed Zimbabwe of one of its major artistic talents. However his legacy, in the form of a substantial body of work, will continue to remind us of his talent and will remain a constant source of pleasure to his many admirers. From the mid 1980's the Matombo Gallery worked closely with Mamvura and has by far the most significant collection of his work - more than one hundred works dating back to 1986.