Maria Chiguvari
MAZOWE artisanal miner, Felix Agushito, prays that his artworks win the hearts of many.
The 47-year-old started his art journey when he travelled to South Africa in 2007 in search of greener pastures.
As he settled in KwaZulu-Natal province, work did not come easy, and he had to tap into his in-born creativity and started doing beads and wire art.
“I crafted (former South African presidents) Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma in 2016. I also did one of (the late former president) Robert Mugabe.
“My work has been in the art gallery. I sold Oliver Mtukudzi’s craft for US$120 and US$200 for former president Mugabe,” he said.
When South Africa hosted the World Cup finals in 2010, Agushito fed into the euphoria, crafting figures of popular football stars and stadiums.
Some of his work was chosen to be part of permanent collections at South African galleries, which include the Tatharam Gallery.
“I made figures of top footballers, including Benni McCarthy and Didier Drogba, and also of popular World Cup stadiums like the Moses Mabhida in Durban.
Agushito hopes to make a bigger artwork which will be placed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
“My dream is to create a bigger one which will be placed at the airport, so that our visitors will be welcomed by the artwork,” Agushito said.
Agushito has done Jah Prayzah’s piece which he hopes to sell to the superstar.
Agushito hopes to inspire more young artists to pursue their passion and hone their skills.
“I believe that talent is a gift that we must cherish and develop. I want to encourage young people to pursue their passion and work hard to achieve their goals,” he said.