Sculptors hail Mteki NAGZ board appointment
THE Zimbabwe Sculptors Association (ZSA) has hailed the incorporation of worldrenowned sculptor Bryn Taurai Mteki, aka Sekurutau, into the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe (NAGZ) board of trustees.
Mteki, a stone carver-cum-musician, was among six new members added to the serving board of trustees announced by Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry recently.
A proponent of African roots music and businessman, Mteki was appointed alongside Chelsea Sian Evans, Morris Mpala, Nigel Phillip and Joyce Chimanye.
They join serving board members including Solomon Guramatunhu, Busani Bafana, Job Ronald Torindoh, Patricia Broderick and David Scott.
Sculptors under the ZSA banner hailed the appointment of the additional board members, singling out Mteki’s inclusion as a positive move in the development of wood carving in the country.
“Congratulations to master stone sculptor Bryn Taurai Mteki on his appointment into the National Gallery of Zimbabwe board of trustees,” said ZSA chairman Taurai Tigere.
“We are grateful to the ministry of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation for making this appointment youth, of a well-proven arts practitioner who is aware of the obtaining situations and expectations of colleagues in particular stone sculptors and other visual artists around the country.
“His experience both locally and internationally will come handy in the development of visual arts in the country.”
Tigere said apart from his international exposure, Mteki comes from a family of rich artistic talent.
“He is coming from a family of artists. His father Richard Mteki was a wellknown sculptor and so is his brother Boira Mteki. That background alone gives impetus to his CV and his standing in as far as representing other sculptors is concerned.”
Mteki spent close to 14 years in the United States and Europe where he established top galleries and is among wellrenowned visual artists considered for global exhibitions and expos.
Coventry urged the board to come up with an arts strategy that could spur the growth of visual arts in the country.
“I expect you to come up with a visual arts strategy that derives from the overarching national creative industries strategy.
“The government has two critical documents that you need to know as a board. These are the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy and the National Culture and Creative Industries Strategy,” Coventry said.
She said the appointment of the board was in fulfilment of the NGZ Act of 1985 and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act of 2019.