With paintbrushes in hand, these men make magic
Making ends meet is difficult but these Zimbabwean citizens have created a means to provide for themselves and their families.
POLOKWANE – When four pairs of hands come together to create employment for themselves, magic happens.
This was the case when Miriam Changa, Pardon Zvapangana, Edmore Chikwengo and Munyaradzi Chatikobo met one fateful day and decided to unite and paint. Making ends meet is difficult but under Moyo paintings, they have created a means to provide for themselves and their families. They have been working as a collective for six years and have developed a family bond that not only brings about a sense of togetherness but also a bond of business minds.
“We are growing as Moyo Paintings and we have been fortunate to have people from as far as Ghana take interest in our work. Our artwork depicts African scenarios and that has been what sets us apart,” said Zvapangana. They further explained that although their specialty has been African paintings, they are not one dimensional and are able to create contemporary artwork as per a clients request. Although each had an eye for art, when they came together, under the guidance of Munyaradzi Chatikobo they learned new techniques which elevated their abilities to a whole new level.
Their business is slowly bearing fruit but they still work from a public place everyday from 07:00 to around 17:45 every day in a public space.
“We are from Zimbabwe and have a tough time acquiring a permit to operate from a public space. This unfortunately has a negative affect on our business, as we are constantly on the look out for officials who can confiscate our artworks,” added Chikwengo.
