Gerald Takawira

Gerald Takawira was born in Nyanga, a small town in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, in 1964. Gerald is the oldest son of John Takawira (1938-1989), one of the first and most famous of the Zimbabwean sculptors to break onto the international scene. Gerald's two uncles, Bernard and Lazarus are also well known and internationally respected sculptors. Gerald's brother, Simon, is also a sculptor and works with Bernard at his gallery just outside Harare. Coming from a family so intimately connected with art and sculpting, it was only natural that Gerald took an interest in sculpture from an early age. From the age of 13, he would assist his father with the more tedious work of sanding the sculptures. It was a part-time hobby for young Gerald, but it kindled his interest and in 1985 he began sculpting full time. During the early part of 1987, Gerald spent some time at the internationally renowned Chapungu Sculpture Park as a member of the artists' residency program. During this time he met young sculptors who now make up the core of the 2nd and 3rd generation Shona sculptors. Gerald returned to Chapungu in 1999 where he spent some time under the tutelage of Masachi Asaka, a well-known Japanese sculptor. It was during this period that he first learned to sculpt in granite and marble as well as the springstone, serpentine, and opal. Gerald is also able to work in lepidolite and leopard stone which are among the hardest stones used for sculpting. Gerald primarily worked alongside his father until his death in 1989, after which he established an independent group of sculptors and started a gallery outside Harare. In recent years Gerald emerged from the shadow of his famous father and developed into an extremely creative sculptor. Gerald's work is well known in Europe and he has participated in exhibitions and workshops there. He participated in a "Second Generation" Exhibition of young sculptors in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald died in the summer of 2004.