Esau Karuru was born in 1979 in Mashonaland West where he attended primary and secondary school. Esau started his life in the Shona Art world first as an assistant to Witness Bonjisi and his brother Lameck and finally Colleen Madamombe in 1997. At Colleen’s place he introduced the hairstyles and some of the dresses to add more interest to the beautiful ‘big lady’ sculptures.
Later Esau gained the confidence to become independent and opened a new workshop at the corner of Airport Road in Harare where he has sold his art to buyers from all over the world, some of his suclptures have been given prizes.
In 2011 he changed the faces of the big ladies to be rounder. He is married to the late Shupikai Kasirori and has two daughters Tanyatadzwa and Anesu.