Excelling beyond borders

Excelling beyond borders is the best way I can describe Masimba Jefter Mwazha a very talented young man who is in the art of wire craft.Masimba is originally from Zimbabwe and with the talent he had he managed to go places with his work.
Masimba moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town, selling wire craft for income and eventually joined Street wires as a full time designer. Street wires are a design initiative that started in 2000 based in Cape Town. They create and market contemporary African wire and bead craft, blending First World resources with traditional Third World craft skills to the benefit of everyone involved.

His was the winner of the CCDI’s FREEDOM (ten years) competition in 2004 and his work was selected for the Brett Kebble Arts Awards. Jeff now exhibits in 34 Long Street Gallery with other famous sculptors.

In June 2007 Masimba was selected along with 10 other artist to take part in the first of its kind wire plus [this is my Cape Town] Exhibition. The art pieces are the wire artists’ expressions of their experiences of the city, Cape Town.

Masimba is inspired by the greatness of Cape Town’s people and history thus he created a chicken-wire sculpture of Madiba, featured in the picture he stands beside his monumental chicken-wire sculpture of former president Nelson Mandela called,’ Madiba's Ground. The Cape persona can be seen in Madiba, in his visionary gaze and positivity. The sculpture is a highly realistic portrait of this famous inspirational character and the detail almost defies the medium. Chicken wire is an unexplored and difficult material to work.

By Portia Makore