Zimbabwe Artists Project

Sarah was born in 1969.  She studied through Form 3 (9th grade) and stopped because her father didn’t have enough money for her to continue.  She has one son, Munashe, born in 1994.
Sarah started art in 1989, because “there was nothing to do at home, and I needed money also.”  She started drawing on maps, [...]

Auxillia was born in 1975 in Weya, and attended Mukute School through Grade 7.  She stopped then because of a shortage of money.  She is married (her husband is also an artist), and she has three children – two sons and a daughter.
Auxillia learned to paint in 1994 in order to help support her family.  [...]

Wilson was born in 1984 in Chiendambuya.  He is one of eight children.  He attends St. Benedict’s Mission school, doing Form 3 (9th grade).  His mother is the artist Chipo Mugadza.
Wilson began doing art in 1999, with his mother as his teacher.  He started by drawing for his mother’s art but he found that he [...]

Emmah was born in Mt. Darwin in 1975.  She attended school through Grade 6, stopping because of her marriage in 1989.  She came to Weya at the time of her marriage and has two children, born in 1994 and 1997.  Her husband is unemployed.
Emma started doing art in 2005.  “Why? I like art, my husband [...]

Alice was born in 1958 in Inyanga, one of 7 children.  She studied through Grade 3, stopping because her father had no work and thus there was no money to pay school fees.  She was married in 1985 and moved to her husband’s home in Gurure village in Weya.  Her husband died in 1999.  She [...]

Lizzie was born in Rusape in 1948, one of nine children.  She went to school through 6th grade, stopping when her father said, “You are a girl, so you stop there.”  She moved to Weya after her marriage in 1970.  She and her husband have seven children, born between 1971 and 1987.
Lizzie and her husband [...]

Tendai was born near Mutare in 1968.  She finished the equivalent of Grade 10, and then did a dressmaking course before getting married in 1990 and moving to Weya.  She learned sadza painting at Weya and then took up appliqués from watching other artists.  She has two children, a daughter born in 1990 and a [...]

Sandra was born in 1982 in Chipinge, the second of seven children.  She went to school until 7th grade, stopping when her father died and there was no one to pay school fees.  She became a housekeeper in Harare in 1993 and married and moved to Weya in 1999.  Her husband works in Bulawayo, about [...]

Rosemary was born in 1966.  She completed Grade 7.  Her husband was in the liberation struggle and then joined the Zimbabwean Army at the time of independence.  He stays in Harare, 100 miles from Weya, but comes home frequently.  They have five children.
Rosemary began doing appliqués in 1987 in order to earn income to help [...]

Pleasure was born in 1973 in Murewa, moving to Weya at the age of six.  He was the fifth of six children.  He stopped his education after Grade 7 because his parents didn’t have money to send him further.  He is married and has two daughters.  He now lives in Chitungwiza, a high-density suburb of [...]