Born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1979, Lovemore James began to sculpt after completing school in 1997. Lovemore began his training under Arthur Fara, an uncle and invited artist at Chapungu Sculpture Park. It was through Arthur Fatas influence that Lovemore gathered inspiration to become a sculptor.
It made me very excited to see the work of Arthur Fata, to realize that I could work with another sculptor, be inspired by him but not copy him, or be overly influenced by his work. My work must mark the stage of my life, my maturing, and my growth. But it also must record the stages in the lives of others around me and pass a message on to future generations. . . says James. When asked how he draws inspiration from the stone, he remarks . . .I get truly inspired by bringing a good subject out of the stone, something which people can recognize and means something around me. Sometimes I move around the country seeing how people live, how they move and how they behave as I put these things (concepts) into my sculpture.
His work is said to be powerful abstractions of the human body. Each sculpture is based on entirely new idea and themes as James airms to bring fresh new ideas to his sculpture, so that each work is a total departure from the last.
James is a resident artist at Chapungu Sculpture Park at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in South Africa. He strives for continued growth as a sculptor and continually seeks new cultures, experiences, and travels to learn more about this craft.