New generation in Tengenenge

Tengenege Arts Community is located approx. 150 northwards from Harare, near Guruve and was established in mid 60s in 20th century by the farmer Tom Blomfield to give another chance to his workers for enployment and became famous as the informal multicultural and multiethnic community of artists, sculptors especially. Since it was created, well over 900 artists have contributed to the artistic biography of the community. In-ternationally recognised sculptors such as Henry Munyaradzi, Bernard Matemera, Fanizani Akuda, Edward Chiwawa , Josia Manzi and Amali Malola – to name just a few – have their roots in Tengenenge, which literally means „the origin of the origin“.

Today there live about 220 active sculptors and more than 600 their relatives, including 120 kids. The whole community is dependent on the sale-profit of their sculptures and on nowadays on the food supply and technical help which is provided by Dominic Benhura , the new owner of Tengenenge mine.

Benhura feels respect to the long tradition of Tengenenge and expressed it when he received the NAMA Awards and the Arts Service Award, on behalf of Tengenenge in 2010, but he feels responsible for the future of Tengenge too.

And Tengenege is really changing under his directorship. The artists in Tengenege have already relandscaped the exhibition space and started to work with different types of stones brought from other mines. Some midle generations names are missing from traditianl stands and the new talented and gifted sculptors are coming. The living conditions in Tengenege are still very hard but the new generation of young artists, namely Taurus Rukodzi..... and others, working there is very promising They are self confident, skillfull, independent on old tradition, with new vissions. They can attract the international buyers and we are proud to present them in the Czech Republic too.