Linos Tonderai Sowa was born in 1978 in Nyanga in eastern Zimbabwe. He began sculpting with his step-father, Julius Chinhoyi, in 1995. He worked with Julius for two years and another two years with Rosemary Chakanyuka in Chitungwiza before taking the decision to work alone as a full-time artist in 2002.
“Being an artist is a very good job. My stepfather, Julius Chinhoyi, inspired me. He always taught me to socialise with people, and by so doing I ended up doing everything with love. When I started carving, love became the theme of my sculptures.”
Since his ‘discovery’ by Guruve in 2010, Tonderai Sowa’s career has accelerated in leaps and bounds. Recent highlights include:
- Oct 2013 – second prize in the Art exhibition and competition ‘Celebration’, held at the Arts Centre to celebrate its 15th Anniversary
- Feb-Apr 2014 – one of four Zimbabwean artists invited to participate in an Artist Exchange at Sonkala Yonkala in Luanda, Angola with Angolan artist Jao Mayembe
There are more super sculptures by Tonderai Sowa available through our other company, the Shona Sculpture Gallery in Harare, Zimbabwe. Click on the link to see Shona Sculpture Gallery’s Tonderai Sowa pieces.
