Irene Kafenyota Karuwa
Irene Karuwa winnowing maize
Irene was born in 1947 in Weya. She went to school through fourth grade, stopping because the family had no money for her education. She is the mother of nine children. Her husband works in Bulawayo, hundreds of miles a way, returning home three times per year.
Irene is an expert potter who makes pots primarily for people in the community. She also makes appliqués, having learned to do so in 1997. She began to do art because she needed money for her school fees. Her favorite topics involve traditional Shona rituals and practices.