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Richard Mteki
Courage of the Cut
"The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know the first cut is the deepest..."
- lyrics by Cat Stevens and sung by rock star Rod Stewart.
Richard with "Mborivori or Crane Family"
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But when it comes to stone cutting, another great rock star, Richard Mteki, saves the deepest cuts until last. With precision and great strength, he transforms raw rock into full artistic form that only he can command. As the top of the 2nd generation artists, when Richard's mastery unfolds, the audience does not see the stone, but only a precise sculptural image incised by Richard's hands.
And his chisel cuts are truly deep, long and elegant. Richard has classically explored spiritual themes of his culture with images of ancestral spirits, the provincial spirits of creation,Chaminuka & Nehanda, along with folkloric stories of animals such as rhinos, cranes and eagles.
Richard was born in 1947 in Harare, Zimbabwe. He showed artistic talent early and studied at the Canon Paterson Art Centre after his primary education. Encouraged by his older brother Boira, he then attended workshops at the National Gallery in Harare and began to experiment with sculpture. By the late 1960s, Richard was becoming an acclaimed artist but the deteriorating political climate forced the resignation of National Gallery's influential curator, Frank McEwen. Many artists, including Mteki, turned upheaval into opportunity by leaving the workshop. He has continued to develop his personal style, unconstrained by group dynamics, ever since.
Richard Mteki is now one of the most prominent and collectable names in Zimbabwean sculpture, even outshining his first generation late brother, Boira. As a sculptor with over 25 years' experience, Richard has been chosen to represent Zimbabwe through government commissions for state buildings and as gifts for foreign dignitaries. His work has also been featured in innumerable local and international joint and solo exhibitions. His simple, graceful and economical style, with perfectly smooth surfaces, is instantly recognizable. Richard lives with his family in the Harare suburb of Highfield. He takes great pleasure in passing his knowledge on to his children and other aspiring young artists. Also having been mentored by master sculptor Henry Munyaradzi, this renowned first generation mentor, Richard's talent shines as the brightest of all the 2nd generation artists. Now as an accomplished master himself, Richard has also passed on the gift by mentoring over 40 younger artists and cultivated their individual sculpting talents.
His works have been extensively collected in Germany, United Kingdom and the United States.
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