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ZimSculpt

Curators of Zimbabwean Sculpture Worldwide

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Walter Mariga

Location: Greendale, Harare
Age: 51

Works for Sale

We don't currently have anything by Walter Mariga available. Please contact us if you would like to commission a piece or to be notified when we have any pieces by Walter Mariga for sale.

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Previous Works

  • First Born Not for sale
    First Born
    Not for sale
  • Different Opinions Not for sale
    Different Opinions
    Not for sale
  • Lost Soul Not for sale
    Lost Soul
    Not for sale

Walter Mariga carves his distinctive sculptures in the hardest and most beautiful Zimbabwean stones. An internationally exhibited artist, Walter’s apprenticeship with his father Joram Mariga, one of the founders of the Shona sculpting movement, connects him directly to the first generation – and that lineage is evident in his work.

Walter Mariga’s father, Joram (now deceased) is often described as the “father” of Shona sculpture. Walter and his three younger brothers, Daniel (now deceased) Jay and Aaron, all apprenticed with Joram. The Mariga family is originally from Nyanga, a beautiful mountainous region in the eastern region of Zimbabwe near the Mozambique border. While Walter frequently returns to this region to access the remarkable stone that’s available in this area, he lives and works from his home studio in Harare.

Walter, born in 1973, explains that there was no need for him to attend art school as his father was an exceptional mentor encouraging his sons to sculpt in the hardest stones from the outset. At around 12 years old he started “shaping stones” because he admired his father’s work so much.

They were not “real” sculptures, Walter explains, but he was learning to appreciate stone and handle tools. By the age of 17 he was carving full time.  Walter began exhibiting his work internationally through the Chapungu Sculpture Gallery at the age of 21. In 1994 he was chosen to participate in a sculpting symposium organized by the Japanese government in Zimbabwe. He worked alongside Japan’s master sculptor Masaji Asaga, sculpting black granite

Walter continues to work in the hardest, and often most colourful stones, depicting a range of subjects – although women and relationships
are a recurring theme. Walter says each of his sculptures imparts a message – whether it’s a comment on society, capturing a human emotion,
communicating with ancestral spirits or celebrating nature.

 

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They receive no public funding and rely exclusively on sculpture sales to keep the business moving forward. There’s a strong sense of pride and excitement when she speaks of how the company started and how they travel worldwide showcasing these beautiful pieces.

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