The plaque reads:
Our love is strong and will sustain us through our lifetime.
"Tendai
I am a 5th born in a family of 13, a guy who only got to know his father at 19 years of age. Two boys, eleven girls (two sets of mothers). I grew up in Zimbabwe in a town called Karoi (literally "witch"). I grew up being supported by my mother.
I am 32 years old, recently married. I am staying in Cape Town, South Africa. Life for most of us Zimbaweans has come to mean loneliness, homesickness and batlle for survival--the lack of basic neccesities and strugless to eke a living from nothing. Life growing up in Karoi was not so rosy--walking to Chikangwe Primary barefoot in the early grades. Art has been a way of life one way or the other for me --drama, singing, etc.
I jumped the border into South Africa in 1996 after a long and bitter fight with poverty which was not of my making. We had talent to use our hands to make export quality art but had no market to sell to, we had dreams to fulfill but no outlet to play them in. I was left with the task of taking care of my siblings and extended family The burden of single-handedly providing for my siblings, coupled with the disintergrating socio-economic scenario forced me into South Africa. My burden was worsened by the passing away of my eldest brother--who had the task of looking after the whole family. All of a sudden I had to look after more people.
The xenophobic violence of May 2008 did not help matters because I lost everything I had. I had to start again on scratch. I had bought 2 computers, printers, wire and beading material and a photocopying machine in anticipation of starting an art business back in Zimbabwe one day. I only thank God because I am still alive but my prayers are with the families of all those bruttally killed and to all those permanently maimed. You had to be in it to fully understand it.
I am a versatile artist having acted at school, sang in the choir but my calling now is wire and metal art with some other forms in-between. The wire art journey which started in Zimbabwe has been challenging. The battles of selling informally at robots, without storage facilities, ablution or certainity with the resultant harrassment by law enforcement, consification of stuff and starting again. What has kept us focused and sane is the thought that we can make it--looking back at the hardships in Zimbabwe, political, socio-econominic, mouths which needed to be fed--you had no option but to look only ahead.
We decided to work together as artists and in 2007 formed Mutasa Art "straight from Africa" in the strong belief that we can work collectively to explore our talents further, export and work formally.
This group today stands at 35 artists working collectively and independently to make Zimbabwean art visible. To this end I would like to thank Dominic Gordon of Constantia who saw our talents early and offered us storage facilities at his Constantia house and in 2010, offices--on top of helping market us internationally. Now our art is in South African, European, Asian, Australian and African homes, industries and offices--we wish to pass on this knowledge and skills to less priveledged Zimbabwean and African kids for free because in our journey. Help has come in many forms and unexpectedly. To this end a craft centre is in the offing in Zimbabwe.
With our hands we can shape our own destiny. I would like to thank Bright Mutasa who started it all working alone, sometimes in dangerous situations but never throwing in the towel--I salute you for your resilience." (from (
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