The Country Manager of Environment Africa, Mr. Barnabus Mawire
Members of the Board
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Government Officials
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Our esteemed artist exhibiting this evening, Mr. Victor Nyakauru

It is my pleasure to welcome you all here this evening to Victor Nyakauru’s exhibition Creatures/Tuzvipuka.

The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with one of the country’s young contemporary multi-media artists Victor Nyakauru in making our mission visible locally and internationally. Tonight we are here to witness sculptures that are a culmination of hard work, dedication, determination, discipline, patience and perseverance. Victor’s works are a mixture of stone, bones and metal that have been put together to tell a most heart warming story about the small creatures of nature that we encounter almost everyday.

This year Victor was fortunate to have been invited to visit China as part of a cultural exchange programme between Zimbabwe and China and I am sure that this hardened his resolve to take himself seriously and reach for higher excellence in his work and his life. We at the Gallery really like his work as it provides a new perspective on the traditional stone sculpture and we find his fusion of various media to explore and form attractive creatures to be both refreshing and attractive. His humorous features are also very attractive.

Nyakauru studied at the National Gallery Visual Arts Studios from 2005 to 2007 and was also an artist-in-residence here at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Thereafter came one of his greatest milestones when he was awarded the 2008 NAMA Outstanding Mixed Media winner and the NAMA People’s Choice in the Visual category.

I would like to thank Culture Fund who have made this show possible and to you our guest Mr. Mawire who has agreed to officially open the show for us this evening.

The Director National Gallery of Zimbabwe
Mrs Sibanda