Bronson Gengezha

Bronson Gengezha was born in 1981 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He attended Ellis Robbins Boys' High School where he excelled in every subject but took special interest in history. Bronson credits his father, Temba Gengezha, as his greatest inspiration. From 1975 until his untimely death in 2001, Temba's sculptures were immensely popular celebrated both locally and abroad for their style and artistry. As a child, Bronson played with stones on the floor of his father's workshop, but it wasn't until 1998, at the age of 17, that he began to sculpt stones and hone his artistic vision under the tutelage of his father. Bronson's inherent creativity is evident in the skill, originality and attention to detail characteristic of his work, and is so often lacking in the pieces produced by formally trained young people who study the Shona Sculpting tradition in art school. Bronson looks up to sculptors like Chituwa Jemali and Dominic Benhura because of their unique styles.  Bronson's pieces can be found in galleries and private collections in Germany, Canada, Australia, Holland, Ja-pan, South Africa, and most recently, the United States. Bronson travels to Kwekwe mines located two hours outside of Harare to select raw stones for transport to his home workshop. He prefers t work with colorful stones such as Kwekwe serpentine, fruit serpentine, verdite, and opal stone. As with most stones collected for the pur-pose of sculpting, they are mined without the use of automated tools. The raw stones are transformed using handmade tools such as the traditional mbezo, rasper, and various handmade chisels and files. No electric tools are used in the creative process. Common themes in Bronson's work include the mother and child, looking to the future, introspection, and lovers. When talking about his relationship with the medium of stone, Bronson says, "There is a hidden spirit inside the stone that can be drawn out. Sometimes just by looking at the stone it can tell a story and guide your hand."