Traditionalism
Fanizani Akuda is a self-taught sculptor from Zimbabwe, born in Zambia.
He was working as a stonemason in a quarry when he got his hands on a tool and created his first stone sculpture. With his own unique style, Fanizani was able to convey human emotion in stone with talent. His work can be recognized by the slitted eyes, rounded shapes, cheerful and smiling faces, and his themes are also happy families, human and animal interactions, often in pairs or groups. Fanizani also liked to carve whistle sculptures.
Thanks to Fanizani and his unique stone sculptures, Zimbabwe is internationally recognized today.
Osip Emmanuilovich Braz (Russian: Осип Эммануилович Браз) was a Russian-Jewish realist painter, celebrated for his adeptness in portraying the subtleties of human character and the serene beauty of landscapes. Born in Odessa in 1873, Braz embarked on his artistic journey at the Odessa Art School, later honing his craft in Munich under the guidance of Sandor Kholloshi and in St. Petersburg at the Academy of Arts, where he studied under the legendary Ilya Repin. His early works, marked by a series of compelling portraits, including those of eminent Russian cultural figures like Anton Chekhov, garnered him significant acclaim. Braz's portrait of Chekhov, commissioned by Pavel Tretyakov for the State Tretyakov Gallery, is particularly noted for being the only complete lifetime portrait of the writer.
Braz's contributions to art were not confined to portraiture alone; he also produced exquisite still lifes and landscapes, capturing the essence of his subjects with a delicacy and depth that reflected his mastery over the medium. His landscapes of France, Crimea, and Finland, inspired by his travels, exhibit a remarkable sense of place and mood, blending realism with an impressionistic sensitivity to light and color.
Throughout his career, Braz was deeply involved in the art community, participating in the World of Art exhibitions and influencing the artistic dialogue of his time. Despite facing adversity, including imprisonment and the confiscation of his art collections by Soviet authorities, Braz's legacy as a painter and collector endures. His works continue to be celebrated for their technical prowess and emotional depth, held in high esteem by collectors and experts alike.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Osip Emmanuilovich Braz's oeuvre offers a window into the soul of Russian realism and the broader currents of European art at the turn of the century. His life's work underscores the enduring power of art to capture the human condition and the natural world in all their complexity and beauty. Sign up for updates to stay informed about new product sales and auction events related to Osip Emmanuilovich Braz and delve deeper into the legacy of this remarkable artist.
Wonder Luke is a Zimbabwean sculptor.
Like many artists in Zimbabwe, he was a simple laborer in the fields until he found himself on a sculptor's farm. Wonder Luke has found his unique style and creates human heads of various sizes, with soft and pleasing facial features and various emotions. His work is a great success among connoisseurs.
Richard Mteki is a Zimbabwean sculptor and master stone carver.
Influenced by his older brother, sculptor Boira, he began sculpting at the Nyarutsezo Art Center in the 1960s. And Richard is considered one of Zimbabwe's most successful artists. The power and fluidity of the lines of his unique sculptures demonstrate his remarkable talent.
Mteki is a first-generation sculptor who draws most of his work from the beliefs of the Shona people, although he is also inspired by nature, depicting animals in his own unique style. For Mteki, the form of raw stone is important, and he prefers to work with the stone rather than impose his will on it.
Henry Munyaradzi, known simply as Henry, is a self-taught Zimbabwean sculptor, a representative of "shona sculpture.
Before he got his hands on an instrument, Henry was a common laborer and never attended school. His sculptural work combines the simplicity of the primitive with stylized sophistication. He has great respect for the stone he uses and is often inspired by the original form. Henry has achieved outstanding success internationally, holding individual and group exhibitions around the world.
Joseph Ndandarika is a Zimbabwean sculptor known for his figurative works.
At first he specialized in pictorial landscapes and witchcraft scenes. In 1962, Ndandarika became known for his work Bushmen Running from the Rain. Gradually he switched to stone sculpture, depicting mainly domestic scenes. During the Zimbabwean art revival of the 1980s he was one of the country's first prominent sculptors.
Iliya Zhelev is a Bulgarian painter who lives and works in his hometown of Plovdiv.
He graduated from St. Cyril and Methodius University in Veliko Tarnovo in painting and is one of the leading contemporary artists not only in Bulgaria, but also in Europe.
Zhelev's works are abstract paintings, portraits and depictions of cities, characterized by his distinct and recognizable style. He is inspired as much by Bulgarian folklore and carpet weaving as by contemporary European art, as by the renowned masters Klee, Kandinsky and Polyakov. Zhelev uses the complex classical technique of glaze painting, in which layer upon layer is applied, alternating with long drying phases. As a result, his works acquire the typical brightness that makes up his unmistakable handwriting.