Cuthbert Tendayi is recognized for the clean lines and attention to detail that is prominent throughout his works.
Cuthbert was born in June 1966 in the rural district of Chikomba. He attended both elementary and high school in his home town. His father was a carpenter and taught him carpentry skills while he was still in high school. His mother is also an artist; she specializes in clay pot molding. “Art is in my genes” he says. Upon completing his high school education he was briefly employed by Chikomba Rural District Council as a school clerk, but he left due to poor remuneration. He then moved to Chitungwiza , a small town close to Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, and stayed with his brother Lovemore Tendayi. They worked together doing carpentry as a team until 1989 when they went their separate ways. He dabbled in office jobs around Harare but didn’t stay anywhere for too long as he really missed working with his hands. In 1993 he went back to his roots and got a job doing carpentry for a kitchen cabinet company for a few months. It was then that he began to learn how to sculpt art. While supporting himself working as a carpenter he also used his skills to start carving stone and acquiring the techniques he needed to be a full-fledged stone carver. He also sought the help of his uncle Sebastian Chinyama, an excellent artist in his own right. His innate talent blossomed and he became a full time artist specializing in stone sculptures, and is now able to earn a living with his art. “I dream of owning my own house and truck, which would enable me to have a permanent home and my own transport to collect raw stone from the mines for my craft”, he says. Cuthbert is married and has three beautiful children, who he refers to as “my blessings.”
