Zimpapers Logo

Shadreck Mufandaedza Arts Correspondent
Upcoming sculptor Terence Musekiwa is set to tour Canada.

Terence, who was spotted by the Canadian Embassy, participated on a wall art project to encourage a conversation about the issues of child protection and youth empowerment.

Terence will have a chance to showcase his talent away from home this coming August.

In an interview, Terence said he was nominated to tour Canada on a date to be announced in August.

“I am very happy to travel abroad, this will be my chance to showcase my talent to the whole world and raise the Zimbabwe flag high,” he said.

The Embassy of Canada in Zimbabwe has been collaborating with partners in Zimbabwe over the years on the rights of the girl-child, empowerment of women and girls in a bid to curb early child marriages.

Terence worked with Option Nyahunzvi and Mavis Tauzeni to transform the Canadian Embassy walls into colourful and powerful stories capturing the importance of protecting all children’s rights and access to quality education that allows Zimbabwean girls to reach their full potential and become agents of change in their own families and communities.

Born in Chitungwiza 25 years ago, Terence is also a photographer.

Terence said he started carving stones at the age of five and has been developing his portfolios over the years.

“This experience explains my maturity and confidence in my career and what is now left is to perfect the trade,” he said.

Terence hails from a family of sculptors and his father Kennedy Mubayiwa who boasts of a rich portfolio of sculpture, influenced Terence to take up the trade.

“I was born in a family of sculptors. My father is a second generation sculptor and also my brothers are into the same business.

“I used to see him (father) crafting sculptures when I was growing up and this inspired me and I naturally became interested,” he said.

Terence earned his arts degree from the National Arts Gallery School in 2013 and joined the Catinca Tabacaru Gallery programme in 2015 after completing the Gallery’s Art Residency Collaboration with Dzimbanhete Arts Interactions.

Terence hopes to conquer both the local and international market with his artwork.

“My aim is to join big names in the genre like Dominic Benhura, Rufaro Murenza, David Ngwerume, Angasi Malola among others,” he said.

He called on the Government to introduce resource centres where sculptors can get information on current affairs in the country, interact with other sculptors from other nations and also market their products.

“Due to scarcity of resources, publicity and financial problems, several artists are failing to make it into the business. Being a visual artist is different from musical artistes, it takes a long time for one to be recognised by the entire world,” he said.

Terence who is good at stone work sculptors said his visual language tussles with convention to concurrently challenge. He paid respect to the Zimbabwean tradition.

His conceptual dialect introduces a dialogue about present day Zimbabwe, its mechanism and a quality of magic that infuses the personal lives of its citizens.

Terence breaks the division between traditional and contemporary.

“My objective is to entertain people, educate them and to shape their societal behaviour through art,” he said.