Willard Bopoto

Willard was born in 1985 in Guruve, northern Zimbabwe. At primary school, his favourite lessons were art and craft. Willard says, “In my opinion, loving a hobby is the precondition for any positive development. If you like doing something and you do it well; then continue doing it for the rest of your life.”

Fortunately for Willard, there are lots of deposits of suitable stones in his rural area and he spent much of his childhood experimenting in stone sculpture. When he was ten years old, he sold a sculpture to an American customer of neighbouring artist Brighton Sango. This put him “in the mind of art” as a career, especially since his father had also been a skilled artist. After his first sale of a piece, Willard’s teacher asked him to display his sculptures at school.

At secondary school, Willard’s passion for art continued unabated. Another American customer bought some pieces, which reinforced his self-belief, and Willard continued to sculpt despite his older brother’s attempts to discourage him. When he left school, he began sculpting full-time.

Selected Group Exhibitions and Workshops include:
2005 Agio International Symposium, Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe
2005 Kristin Diehl Sculpture Exhibition, German Embassy, Harare
2015 Painting Workshop, Conrad Foundation, Zimbabwe

Numerous galleries show Willard’s work overseas, including Afrikan and Art Of Africa in the Netherlands, and others in Germany and Switzerland.