Bernard Sakarombe

Bernard was born in Makoni near Rusape in East Zimbabwe. He attended his education at Inyati High school in Rusape in 1992. He went to Chibaya farm where he worked for two years, in 1994 he moved to Harare where his father was working. He tried to look for a job in Harare but failed, then in 1996 he met sculptors, Washington Musonza, Johnathan Mhondorohuma, Chrispen June and LameckBonjisi, these artists encouraged him to start stone sculpting. He found his formative years difficult as he had no experience in artistic expression. He worked along these famous artists until he discovered that he had talent of his own and protected his own distinctive style from the influence of others. Most of his ideas comes from his family but besides getting ideas from family he had other experiences from the bush. He herded cattle at his rural home, so as a cattle herder in the bush he would see and talk to old wise men, listening to stories about their separation from their bodies and their spirits. He would see few people wearing animal skins and some hunting and gathering their cattle in their caves. Bernard could see the bones of animals and started to create his own sculptures, such as skeleton from animals he had saw. Bernard uses Spring stone, Serpentine and Opal stones in making his sculptures. He specialises in figures, animals and abstract. In his spare time, he enjoys watching television and listening to stories from old people and animals survived in the years of the Khoi Khoi people in the bushmen. He also enjoys travelling to places like Chinhoyi Caves, Museums, and national parks.