THE multi-award-winning Elvis and Lorraine Mamvura have been happily married for over two decades and consider sculpting their core business.
At home, they make use of resting time to critique their works.
The two have sharp contrasts in their creativity and yet as one passes through their garden and place of creativity, the two are always together working on stone sculptures and honing their skills.
Elvis has begged awards for figurines like the Bathing Woman, Endless Journeys and Creations.
Lorraine was chosen as a favourite exhibitor for a response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the Harare National Arts Gallery of Zimbabwe and her garden is dominated by several expressions of Mwenga the Wedding Bride.
“The Sisters Love monument reflects more on my family background. I still stand out to be a role model for my three sisters in so many ways. The Mother of All Nations simply puts in the picture that water is life. The Bride as the Master Drummer is symbolic of the bride as a main entertainer at her own wedding,” Lorraine said.
She added that she was a celebrity on her wedding day and that is why her artistry revolved around bridal wear.
The Mamvuras find it comfortable to freely express their opinions through chipping on spring stone and white opal stone.
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Lorraine, at one time, was a committee member for the Chitungwiza Arts Centre responsible for women empowerment and social responsibility.
During that time, she mobilised resources for women empowerment which saw the construction for a gazebo often termed the grass-thatched shelter for female sculptors.
Chitungwiza Arts Centre is a shalom zone for its surrounding residential areas as a source of fresh, clean borehole water.
Elvis was taught sculpting at the age of 10 by his father Albert Mamvura, a first generation sculptor.
History has it that Albert was taught by the late great stone engraver Nicholas Mukomberanwa.
Elvis has also taught his siblings, as well as his wife, Loraine stone sculpting.
The latter has since 1998 been chipping on stone under supervision.
From there on, she strived to make a name for herself at the Chitungwiza Arts Centre.
Elvis has frequently been on BBC and other radio stations as a guest artist during his tours in the United Kingdom, Canada and China.
Lorraine has won the Pathfinder Ubuntu NPC Water is Life and the European Union United in Diversity awards.
“Our life outside art still revolves around creativity and we work tirelessly in order to achieve our goals. We have set solid plans to share our skills through putting up a school in the distant future. Our life at home is all about talking and sharing on interesting themes on visual art. We enjoy admiring our own stone work,” they said.
