Fanizani Akuda was born in Zambia in 1932. In 1949 he
moved to Zimbabwe. Fanizani began to sculpt late in his life. He is from the Chewa
Tribe, and worked in many fields before becoming an artist. He began as a bricklayer,
and went on to work as a farm manager in Tengenenge. It was there that he met Tom
Bloomfield and joined the Tengenenge art community. Akuda began digging Serpentine from the onsite mines. In June, 1966, Bloomfield gave Akuda a set of tools to
try his luck in sculpture.
Sculpture was his newfound career. Akuda showed much
talent, as his work is lively and distinctive, imparting emotions in a magical way. He
is noted for his smiling faces, whistling men and happy families. Olivier Sultan said
of his work "His characters are tender and humorous, constantly smiling, with
mysterious slit eyes. They are often formed in pairs or groups."
To Fanizani, family
represents a poetic world, moving in its simplicity and its tenderness.” His work has
been exhibited worldwide, in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Holland, the
U.S., Sweden, Cuba, Australia, South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Such a unique piece that can be best viewed from all angles.
Fanizani passed away in 2011.
We acquired this piece from the artist in 1994 and are only now making it available.
Height: 9” x Width: 14” x Depth: 10 1/2”