Richard Mupumha Junior was born in 1988 in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. He is the seventh child in a family of eight, the son of the late Solomon Mupumha and namesake of his uncle, the established artist Richard Mupumha.

Richard’s elder brothers Onias and Itayi are already well-established young sculptors in Zimbabwe (Onias was awarded ‘Best Sculptor’ in Zimbabwe’s annual National Arts Merit Awards in 2008). At the weekend during his schooldays, Richard would earn a little pocket money by helping them work on their sculptures – a typical informal apprenticeship where he would assist in the sanding and polishing stages of preparation.

When he left school, Richard wanted to use his love of art as his career, so he joined Onias as his assistant. He has been sculpting full-time since 2006 and has many customers from all round the world.

'I want to establish my own name as a sculptor and achieve the same heights as my brothers, maybe more!'