Onias Mupumha

Onias won the sculpture category in the visual arts section of the 2008 National Arts Merit Awards awarded by Zimbabwe’s National Arts Council. This was well-deserved national recognition from Zimbabwe’s arts elite for one of the brightest stars in a new generation of talent.

Onias was born on 23 February 1978 in Rusape, Zimbabwe. He completed his O-Levels in 1995 and moved to Harare in 1997.

In Harare, his uncle Richard Mupumha encouraged Onias to try stone sculpture under his guidance. Onias started doing his own sculptures in 1999 and is now a well-established artist with many international patrons.

Onias’ style is graceful and organic with fluid uncomplicated lines, reflecting the beauty of natural design. He is a leading light of his generation – his own innate talent in the context of a tradition of Zimbabwean sculpture tending ever more towards a minimal use of line.