Henry Munyaradzi's background, like his life and work, is as deceptively simple as it is remarkable. He was born in Guruve, in theNorth of Zimbabwe, in 1931. His father, a spirit medium, left thefamily when Henry was very young and from this point on, Henry'schildhood and upbringing was typical of rural Zimbabwe at the time -herding cattle and hunting game with dogs, spears and bows andarrows. He did not go to school and to this day speaks andunderstands very little English. HE eventually worked in various wayswith the natural land and industry around him - first as a villageblacksmith and later as a carpenter and tobacco grader.

However, this similarity with the lives of his peers, ended in1967 when, out of work, he stumbled across the Tengenege Sculptors'Community set up by Tom Blomefield. Ignoring the large powerful workby Bernard Matemera and Josiah Manzi, he began to sculpt, preferringto work alone and from the beginning with individual strength andpowerfully original imagery. As a result he quickly establishedhimself as the leading artist of the community, but left to workalone in 1975.

His work began to be included in exhibitions early on in hiscareer - his first exhibition at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe,for example, was in 1968. Since that time he has been exhibited bothin group and individual shows worldwide and the striking linearimages in his sculpture make it some of the most internationallypopular of the Zimbabwean artists. Following a very successfulone-man exhibition in London in 1984, he was able to purchase his ownfarm, where he still works, gaining inspiration from the ruralsurroundings.

The strength of his work lies in the purity of form - technique and imagery are honed down to pinpoint the essence of his subject inthe simplest of terms. The confident lines and clear-cut geometricicisions have often been compared to Klee (an artist of whom Munyaradzi will never have heard) - but these symbols and his lovefor a finished product of great beauty and calm have been present inhis work from the very beginning. His subject matter is taken fromthe natural world around him and only the intimate knowledge of thisworld can produce such minimal, but precise, expression. Beingentirely self-taught his work blends the simplicity of the primitivewith stylised sophistication. He greatly respects the stone he usesand is often inspired by the original shape. It is an intenserelationship with the material as he works spontaneously, neitherdrawing nor measuring. Despite its apparent simplicity the workcannot be reproduced, and he constantly works to express in new wayshis themes of contemplation and spirit in his relationship thenatural world and with his personal Apostolic faith. Contemplation ofstories in the Bible provides Munyaradzi with the powerful imagery ofsupplication, friendship, family ties and the security of paternalprotection.

Henry Munyaradzi has participated in almost all the major groupexhibitions as well as eight one-man shows in London, Los Angeles,Berlin, Heidelberg and Harare. His work is found in the PermanentCollections of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Chapungu SculpturePark and in Museums and private collections throughout the world.