Rachel Ndandarika
Rachel Ndandarika, born on 17th July 1957 in Highfeilds, a high-density housing area just outside Harare, Zimbabwe´s capital city. She is the fourth born child in a family of seven. Her childhood was spent in Highfields as was the early part of her education. In 1976 she moved to Chipinge, a town on Zimbabwe´s eastern border to stay with and help her grandmother, who was now too old to look after herself. Rachel attended school at Mt. Selinda mission and here she had her first introduction to art, or rather craft, as a pottery course was included in their curriculum. In 1980, she returned to Harare and worked at a local pottery as a designer.
In 1986, she met the late Joseph Ndandarika, undoubtedly one of Zimbabwe´s finest sculptural talents, and the two were married in 1988. Through his influence Rachel took an active interest in stone sculpture, at first helping Joseph to finish his works and finally trying her own hand. She became a full time sculptor in 1989.
When Joseph died in 1991, Rachel was lost and spent a while doing nothing other than mourning the loss of her husband. She was encouraged to take up sculpting again, so in 1993 she moved to Vukutiwa as a resident sculptor. She remained there until 1995, when she joined the Chapungu Sculpture Park´s Artist´ Residency Programme and has been working there ever since.
Joseph exerted a powerful influence both in her life and her sculpture. Rachel has done well to see past that and strive for her own style and form. With a solid foundation laid during the early days spent learning from Joseph, she has consistently built up her artistic ability and is now producing work full of vitality and integrity.
Artist Sculpture:
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