Josiah Amanz
BORN:
Malawi moved to Zimbabwe in 1918. His father worked on a tobacco farm as a builder, he also carved masks for extra money, when Josia was young he learnt how to carve masks, he went on to sculpt in stone in 1967. He would help on the farm in the morning and sculpt in the afternoon. The farm closed in 1979 because of the war, the manzi family were the only family who stayed on. It was during this time that the art movement begane taking off, it was helped massively by the farm owner Tom Blomefield because the farm had a huge supply of serpentine stone suitable for carving. Being a carver himself he wanted to help and opened up his land for sculpters to use, which they did and went on to form a community of working artists. Because of Josia’s Yao culture his work is quite spirtual and often bird or human face related. At 81 he was still carving. He is married to a sculptress called Janet Manzi they have 7 children.
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Animals and BirdsBasking in the Sun by Josia Manzi
£850 inc VATBasking in the Sun by Josia Manzi, Springstone