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Concept
Henry Munyaradzi
Summary
Henry Munyaradzi, also known as Henry Munyaradzi Mudzengerere, (1931 – 27 February 1998) was a Zimbabwean sculptor. The sculptural movement of which he was part is usually referred to as "Shona sculpture" (see Shona art and Art of Zimbabwe), although some of its recognised members are not ethnically Shona. He worked initially at the Tengenenge Sculpture Community, 150 km north of Harare near Guruve, which he joined in 1967. In that Community, and ultimately in the wider world of lovers of Zimbabwean art, he was known simply as 'Henry'.
Henry Munyaradzi died in February 1998 and is buried in the Mukaera Christian village on the outskirts of Guruve.
Munyaradzi was the son of a mhondoro, one of the traditional spiritual leaders of his community in Chipuriro (Sipolilo Tribal Trust land) about 30 km from Guruve, Mashonaland in the far north of what was, in 1931, Southern Rhodesia. He participated as a child in the traditional ceremonies such as the bira, a type of funeral procession, and in hunting. A Shona speaker, Munyaradzi never attended school, and struggled with the English language throughout his life. Henry was brought up by his uncle, Edward Chiwawa, who was a local carpenter; his education was practical and first-hand. He was influenced by a local itinerant Christian preacher, Mukaera, whose Apostolic Church he joined and he learned to read the Bible in Shona. Eventually he became the village blacksmith, and also worked as a carpenter and tobacco grader.
Munyaradzi had married and was seeking employment when on 10 September 1967 he was introduced to the Tengenenge Sculpture Community by Tom Blomefield, a white South-African-born farmer of tobacco whose farm had extensive deposits of serpentine stone suitable for carving. By Blomefield's account, he suggested Munyaradzi work alone rather than be influenced by the other sculptors such as Leman Moses who had already joined the community. Given his knowledge of woodwork and metal forging, Munyaradzi quickly learned the skills of a sculptor in stone, remaining largely self-taught for his entire career.
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