Company History
On their first trip to Zimbabwe in 1993, Jim and Robin Napier were struck by the beauty and simplicity of the wonderful contemporary Shona sculptures they encountered throughout the country. They were especially surprised that so little of this style of sculpture was being brought into the United States. They bought several pieces for family and friends and for themselves.
After returning home, the idea of bringing in this art form to the United States kept growing. Having decided to look into the possibilities of doing just that, they set up a company, World of Sculpture, and returned to Zimbabwe. They drove through the country side meeting several different artists, visited in the homes of several of the artists living in the larger cities, looked into the intricacies of buying and transporting various statues, and bought their first shipment of medium size statues, ranging in size from two feet to five feet. Several of these pieces were sold to art collectors and corporations through various galleries in the United States.
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RICHARD MTEKI
Richard Mteki, a member of the Shona tribe, was born in Harare in 1947. His late father was a mechanic and his elder brother was one of the first Zimbabwean sculptors whose work astounded the international art world when it first emerged following the creation of the workshop school at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 1957.
As was common at the time, Richard's education did not extend beyond primary school. He did, however, display a talent for painting and even before he left primary school, he had enrolled at the Nyarutsetse Art Centre established by the late Cannon Paterson. Paterson was a pioneer in the promotion and encouragement of indigenous artistic talent in the country. At the Art Centre, Richard continued to paint and it was there that he was introduced to sculpting.
Influenced by his brother's example and success and following in his footsteps, Richard joined the Workshop School of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. It was during this period (the late 1960's) that Richard's work attracted public attention. When its director, Frank McEwen, resigned in 1973, Richard left the workshop school and since that time has worked independently.
Richard's work has been shown in extensive exhibits around the world including England, Australia, Italy, France, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Sweden, Paris, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Brazil as well as San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Miami.
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ISAAC TAKSWERA
Isaac was born in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, in 1972 and is one of eight boys. His tribe is the Mukaranga and his totem is Moyo or heart. His parents lived on a farm in the Murehwa Rural Areas where Isaac attended school. He completed his schooling in 1990 after obtaining his G.C.E. at the "O" level. He later on took a commercial course in bookkeeping with the Pitman Institute.
Isaac started sculpting in 1987 under the influence of his brother Percy Mukeda and uncle Peter Mandala. In 1990 he joined the Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare and worked there for more than five years producing charming abstracts and creation sculptures. Isaac then left there to continue sculpting on his own and is currently represented in America by the Shona Art Fund Gallery of America, located in California.
Isaac sculptures are mostly carved from the fruit opal stone which is a very hard stone which takes on a beautiful shine when polished. The inspiration for his sculptures comes mostly from the shape of the stones themselves or sometimes from his dreams. Isaac states that his work "is deeply creative and I work with all my energy".
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