The late Gerald was born in Nyanga in 1964. He has two brothers and one sister. He attended Nyatate Primary school in Nyanga and completed his schooling in Chiweshe in 1984.
Gerald took an interest in sculpture from an early age, admiring and following his fathers work, the late John Takawira, one of the most respected first generation sculptors. From the age of 13 he would assist his father with the more tedious work of sand papering his fathers sculptures. He worked alongside his father until the time of his death in 1989. Since that time until 1998 Gerald was working alongside his brother at their farm in Harare South.
In 1998 Gerald went to Chapungu sculpture Park as a member of the artists residency programme. In his own right Gerald is an extremely articulate sculptor with a good feel for his media. He is able to respect the surface tension of a stone and incorporate it harmoniously into his sculpture. Lepidolite or leopard stone, two of the hardest stones, present no problem for Gerald. Gerald’s large pieces are extremely pleasing and he first exhibited these pieces in the second-generation exhibition in Cape Town in 1998. Since then, Gerald’s work has gone from strength to strength.
He has exhibited in many parts of Europe as well as the U.S.A. What is impressive about Gerald’s work is its originality. He has resisted the temptation of following his father’s style and has developed a style that is unique in Zimbabwe. He certainly has emerged from the great shadow of his famous father and was forging his own rightful place amongst the sculptors of Zimbabwe.