Tutani Mgabazi

Tutani Mgabazi Tutani spent the Summer of 2018 as Resident Artist at an exhibition in Canada, promoting his art and holding sculpting workshops. He says, “It was a very successful time for me … now I feel new energy to continue my work, even though the current situation in Zimbabwe is not so encouraging.”

Tutani was born in 1975 in Guruve, northern Zimbabwe. He is the second born in a family of eight, four boys and four girls. He started primary school in 1981, and his favourite lessons were art and craft. In the school holidays, he would visit his uncle Francis Mugavazi, a well-known sculptor, and he learned to sculpt by imitating what Francis was doing.

At twelve, Tutani was sculpting pieces that collectors of his uncle’s work would also buy. By thirteen, Tutani’s father realised his son’s talent and bought him his first tools, and later introduced him to Tom Blomefield, founder of the Tengenenge Sculpture Community.