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Arts Correspondent

Veteran stone sculptor Sylvester Mubayi has died after a short illness.

He was 80.

He passed away on Tuesday night at the Citimed Hospital in Chitungwiza.

Mubayi was an internationally acclaimed sculptor who was also a member of the first generation stone sculptors.

Mourners are gathered at house number 10990 Nehanda Road, Zengeza 4 in Chitungwiza.

Burial arrangements will be announced in due course.

In a statement, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) director Nicholas Moyo said the visual arts sector had been “robbed of a precious gem that had become a fountain of wisdom for both aspiring and practising professionals”.

“Mubayi was one of the last surviving links to the early days of modern Zimbabwean stone sculpting and had become the leading light in grooming and mentoring other visual artists, especially at Chitungwiza Arts Centre where he was based for many years,” he said.

Moyo described Mubayi’s works being flaunted in several world museums, galleries, public places and universities, including private collections as the epitome of Zimbabwean stone sculpting art.

Born in 1942, Mubayi joined the Tengenenge Sculpture Community in 1967 as one of its first members and later worked at the Workshop School founded by Frank McEwen in Vukutu.

He also served as an artist in residence at the Chapungu Sculpture Park.

In 1969, he scooped the Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Award and subsequently bagged other accolades and recognitions from the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ).

Between 1967 and 1990, Mubayi blossomed into a national and international icon through his regular participation in high-profile exhibitions, most of them hosted by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.

The spectacular exhibitions that he participated in included Solo Exhibition, Somerset, UK, Custom and Legend: A Culture in Stone, Kew Gardens, London and Sculpture Contemporaine des Shona d’Afrique, Musée Rodin, and Paris amongst others.

In 1991, Mubayi was also included as one of the top 10 sculptors in the world by The Guardian Newspaper of the United Kingdom.

In 2017, the revered artist made history by being the first artist from the older generation to attend and participate in the 57th Venice Biennale where his works were curated by Raphael Chikukwa who is the current Executive Director of the NGZ.

In 2021, Mubayi was awarded the NAMA Legends@40 awards together with 40 other luminaries of the Cultural and Creative sector as part of the country’s 40th Independence celebrations for their contribution to the development of the Arts in Zimbabwe.