Amos Supini Art for Sale and Sold Prices

b. 1970 - d. 2010

Born in Malawi, in 1970, his parents arrived in Zimbabwe just two months after he was born, his father was on his way to the gold mines of South Africa but fortunately was able to find work in Zimbabwe.

In 1989 after completing his secondary school, Supuni became involved with a catholic youth group in Tafara, a high density housing area just outside Harare. A nun, Sister Catherine was the driving force behind the community- self help project for unemployed youth, she was able to get donations in order to buy a load of stone and some tools. This was the start of the project’s workshop, Sister Catherine enlisted the help of Tapfuma Gutsa, whose studio was also based in Tafara, to come and give lessons to the youth group. As the workshop grew and more people joined, a need grew for new premises. In 1990 the group moved to Silvera House, a Catholic run skills training centre a few kilometres away from their original base.

In 1991, Supuni spent six months in Tanzania as part of a cultural exchange program organised by Silvera House. There he learnt print making, batik, lino cut and etching techniques whilst holding workshops for stone carving. It was an experience he thoroughly enjoyed and which greatly broadened his artistic base. After the six months was over he returned to Zimbabwe and continued to work at Silvera House until 1996, when he was selected to become part of the Chapungu artists’ residency program. He is already into his second year at the park, the greater security and access to harder, larger stones has seen his work develop rapidly.

Due to his experiences, Supuni is very community oriented and when ever he has the chance he returns to Silvera to give encouragement as well as to teach those who are starting to sculpt. He realises it is through community based projects youths get support and a source of income. With unemployment on the rise and life becoming increasingly difficult especially in the poorer areas , Supuni finds it refreshing that art can be a way out of poverty rather than crime and with this in mind he continues to lend his sup port to worthwhile projects. He sees his work as “a voice for the voiceless”, often tackling contemporary social issues such as the plight of street kids and the poverty stricken. There is another side to Supuni’s work, the joys that can be part of the human experience, this can be seen in The Hope, showing the pleasure and pride of a father as he holds his new born for the first time.

Sadly Supini is now departed under mysterious circumstances… Died: Feb 2010, age 39