With his dear friend and mentor now passed, Raphael continues
striving for the individuality of style and superior quality of work that
Nicholas strived for. Now amongst
the top Zimbabwean sculptors himself, Raphael’s works stand out as an
example for other artists.
"RAPHAEL MAVUDZI"
“We posses two things – our body and our soul –
many people have tended to satisfy the body and forget about the
soul. This brings about a lot of
sorrow in one’s life. Without
satisfying your soul life is meaningless.
Personally, creation calms me and soothes my soul, the physical act
of sculpting brings me spiritual sustenance.” “Art is like a religion.
I am deep in prayer when I am striking the rock. The feeling of satisfaction fills me
every time I finish a sculpture.”
In 1993 Raphael held a one-man exhibition at the John Boyne
Gallery, followed by a group exhibition at the Alliance François in
Harare. In 1996 he traveled to
South Africa for exhibitions in Durban and Cape Town, returning to Zimbabwe
in May 1997. August 1997 he was
selected to join the Chapungu Resident Artist Program for 1998/1999. This is a program run for a select
number of promising artist during which time they are provided with tools
and stone on the Chapungu Estate and encouraged and taught by invited
artists (the top stone artists in Zimbabwe including Nicholas Mukomberanwa,
Bernard Matemera, The Takawira Brothers).
Raphael worked very closely with Nicholas Mukomberanwa for a number
of years, often working together on the same sculpture until Nicholas’s
untimely death in 2003.