Nicholas Mukomberanwa: Difference between revisions
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'''Nicholas Mukomberanwa''' (1940 - November 2002) was a [[Zimbabwe]]an [[sculpture|sculptor]] and art teacher. He was among the most famous products of the [[Workshop School]] and an art mentor and teacher to the [[Mukomberanwa Family]] |
'''Nicholas Mukomberanwa''' (1940 - November 2002) was a [[Zimbabwe]]an [[sculpture|sculptor]] and art teacher. He was among the most famous products of the [[Workshop School]] and an art mentor and teacher to the [[Mukomberanwa Family]] sculptors. His work has been exhibited in galleries around the world and he remains one of Zimbabwe's most famous artists<ref>http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php</ref>. |
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==Life== |
==Life== |
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Mukomberanwa's sculptures frequently depicted forms taken from nature, such as [[animal]]s and [[bird]]s; most were highly polished, although in a few cases he would contrast smooth sections with areas of great roughness. He worked primarily in stone, using local materials such as [[Serpentine group|serpentine]]. Stylistically, his works were similar in nature to the sculptures of the [[Shona people]], from whom he derived some of his stylistic ideas. |
Mukomberanwa's sculptures frequently depicted forms taken from nature, such as [[animal]]s and [[bird]]s; most were highly polished, although in a few cases he would contrast smooth sections with areas of great roughness. He worked primarily in stone, using local materials such as [[Serpentine group|serpentine]]. Stylistically, his works were similar in nature to the sculptures of the [[Shona people]], from whom he derived some of his stylistic ideas. |
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==Accolades== |
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* Commemorative Commonwealth Day postage stamps - 1983 Zimbabwe.<ref>http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php</ref> |
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*Special Presidents Award - 1986<ref>http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php</ref> |
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* Winner, Annual Nedlaw/Baringa exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe - 1989 |
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==References== |
==References== |
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* [http://www.postcolonialweb.org/zimbabwe/art/sculptors/mukomberanwa/bio.html Brief biography] |
* [http://www.postcolonialweb.org/zimbabwe/art/sculptors/mukomberanwa/bio.html Brief biography] |
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Revision as of 21:36, 26 January 2012
Nicholas Mukomberanwa | |
|---|---|
| File:NicholasMukomberanwa.jpg Nicholas Mukomberanwa | |
| Born | Nicholas Mukomberanwa 1940 |
| Died | November 2000 Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Education | Frank McEwen |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Movement | Shona sculpture |
| Relatives | Ennica Mukomberanwa (daughter) Lawrence Mukomberanwa (son) Nesbert Mukomberanwa (son)Netsai Mukomberanwa (daughter) Nicholas Mukomberanwa (son) Taguma Mukomberanwa (son) |
Nicholas Mukomberanwa (1940 - November 2002) was a Zimbabwean sculptor and art teacher. He was among the most famous products of the Workshop School and an art mentor and teacher to the Mukomberanwa Family sculptors. His work has been exhibited in galleries around the world and he remains one of Zimbabwe's most famous artists[1].
Life
Mukomberanwa was born in the Buhera District and spent his childhood in a rural environment. He was interested in art from an early age, being introduced to the craft of woodcarving while a student at the Sermia Mission School. Here, too, he encountered a blend of traditional Christian iconography and tribal African pieces.
Mukomberanwa moved to Salisbury (now Harare) while in his twenties, taking a job as an officer in the British South Africa Police and setting aside his artistic training. In 1962 he met Frank McEwen, then director of the National Gallery of Rhodesia (today the National Gallery of Zimbabwe), who encouraged him to take up art again. McEwen provided materials and training in a workshop in the Gallery basement, and soon Mukomberanwa was sculpting in his free time. Eventually, in a risky move, he decided to leave his career with the police to become a sculptor full-time. The gambit paid off, and by the 1970s his work was being shown in important shows in Paris, New York City, and London. Mukomberanwa continued to hone his skills over the following decade, developing one of the most distinctive personal styles found in his generation of Zimbabwean stone sculptors.
In the 1990s, Mukomberanwa's reputation was further enhanced by several one-man shows in London and New York. Later in his career, he slowed his production of art to enjoy farming and cattle ranching on an extensive spread which he owned. He produced less, creating more personal sculptures and slowing down the pace of his life considerably.
Mukomberanwa's works are in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Man in London as well as in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Three pieces are held in the British Museum as part of the McEwen bequest [2].
Mukomberanwa died suddenly in 2002. Several of his children became sculptors, including his sons Anderson, Lawrence, and Taguma, and his daughters Netsai and Ennica. He was also the uncle and teacher of Nesbert Mukomberanwa and mentor to African-American sculptor M. Scott Johnson.
Work
Mukomberanwa's sculptures frequently depicted forms taken from nature, such as animals and birds; most were highly polished, although in a few cases he would contrast smooth sections with areas of great roughness. He worked primarily in stone, using local materials such as serpentine. Stylistically, his works were similar in nature to the sculptures of the Shona people, from whom he derived some of his stylistic ideas.
Accolades
- Commemorative Commonwealth Day postage stamps - 1983 Zimbabwe.[3]
- Special Presidents Award - 1986[4]
- Winner, Annual Nedlaw/Baringa exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe - 1989
References
- Brief biography
- Another biography and overview of his work
- Essay on his work
- Home Page
- www.art-affairs-gallery.com
- ^ http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php
- ^ "McEwen Collection". britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php
- ^ http://www.artcreationsafrica.com/artists/firstgenerationartist/nicholas-mukomberanwa.php