Godfrey Kurari
Godfrey Kurari was born in Mufakose, a township of Zimbabwe's capital Harare. As a primary school kid in the 1970's, he spent most of his time drawing rather than writing. Luckily his home was near the local art center and instead of doing his homework, he spent time there pursuing his passion. His mother would take him out of the center, but he didn't want to stop painting and drawing.
In 1984 Godfrey visited a sculpture center and found a new interest. They gave him a small stone to sculpt and he made a good image of a human face. After that he never went back to painting for a living, although he still paints for fun.
In 1986 Godfrey joined a well known sculptors group, where he collected stone from the countryside and brought it to the center to work on. He yearned for more independence and in 1993 he left to form a co-operative with some of his friends in the countryside near Harare. When he looks at the trees around the open spaces where he and other artists work, he wonders how long the will stay. If for some reason the trees get cut down, he will move further out into the bush. Art and nature cannot be separated. When he works there, his imagination stretches to no-man's land and he works wonders. If you take him out of the bush, you take the artist out of him.
In 1984 Godfrey visited a sculpture center and found a new interest. They gave him a small stone to sculpt and he made a good image of a human face. After that he never went back to painting for a living, although he still paints for fun.
In 1986 Godfrey joined a well known sculptors group, where he collected stone from the countryside and brought it to the center to work on. He yearned for more independence and in 1993 he left to form a co-operative with some of his friends in the countryside near Harare. When he looks at the trees around the open spaces where he and other artists work, he wonders how long the will stay. If for some reason the trees get cut down, he will move further out into the bush. Art and nature cannot be separated. When he works there, his imagination stretches to no-man's land and he works wonders. If you take him out of the bush, you take the artist out of him.
