Mupariwa breaks stereotypes in arts industry

18 Oct, 2019 - 00:10 0 Views

eBusiness Weekly

Kumbirai Tarusarira

In an economy that is still largely male-dominated, a number of women are excelling in some industries that have long appeared as a preserve for the male folk.

Agnes Mupariwa is a well-recognised Zimbabwean female stone sculptor.

She is not concerned about her femininity in this male-dominated industry.

In 1998 she started as a stone washer at the Chitungwiza Art Centre, a job that ignited her passion for stone sculpting. She began to carve professionally in 2000.

She specialises in spring stone, opal and fruit serpentine. Her resilience has seen her succeed in a male-dominated stone sculpture industry. She has participated in both local and international exhibitions.

She won the second prize for originality and creativity by Grove limited in the “Decade of Achievements” exhibition in 2002 and an honorary mention in the 2017 Brock awards in Chitungwiza.

Agnes Mupariwa was born on November 4, 1968 in the rural parts of Domboshava in Zimbabwe.

She is proud of the way she grew up, though not exposed to much of the nicest things of the ‘other side of life’, Mupariwa is proud of her background, which she says made her the woman she is today.

Agnes went to Chogugudza Primary School. She then did her Ordinary Level at Parirehwa High School.

In 1998, the artist, whose ability to transform raw stone into polished stone sculpture endorsed her to collectors, joined the Chitungwiza Art Centre and Agnes’ inspiration grew deeper.

She came in contact with other prominent local artists such as Fanizani Akuda then it all became clear to her that art was her future.

Agnes Mupariwa works in a male-dominated atmosphere and she fights to always stand on top.

In 2000, Agnes saw the bright light of art as a profession, soon after completing her apprentice at Chitungwiza Art Centre.

Through self-examination, she realised that abstract stone sculpture with a fusion of post modernism was her area of interest in the stone art world.

Originally as her career began, Agnes took various types of stones, styles and techniques until she found herself in intellectual stone sculpture circles, to which she later discovered that a fusion of abstract stone sculpture and post modernism was to her destiny.

With her mastery of post modernism art movement, Agnes has allowed
herself to venture in all sort of sculpting, implementing her endowed
talent.

Such a mixture of different vibes makes her one of the outstanding Zimbabwean, contemporary woman artist.

Though she specialises in sculptures like abstracts, Agnes has defied the odds, by not limiting herself to one particular area, but exploring different types of sculptures to produce marvellous pieces of art that could almost resemble utopia, something which anyone who appreciate art would agree with.

She has participated in many international exhibitions which include the Hannover Expo 2000, In praise of Women Expo at the National Gallery held by the African Millennium Foundation 2004, and, the first National Competition for Young Women Sculptors at Alliance Franchise in Zimbabwe.

She won the second prize for originality and creativity by Grove Limited in the Decade of Achievements, and an Honorary Mention in the 2017                      Brock Awards in Chitungwiza.

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