ZATA Deswage is the twenty-first artist to showcase his work at Woza Moya Artists’ Wall, and his work will be featured for the month of May.
The concept behind the Woza Moya Artists’ Wall and Artists’ Cards is to create and showcase work for artists, giving them a platform to garner exposure. Each month, a different artist is paid to paint, sculpt, embroider or spray a wall panel, which is displayed on the wall outside the Woza Moya Hillcrest AIDS Centre shop.
Woza Moya assists the artist by marketing their work for the entire month their work is on display. he new monthly initiative at the shop is sponsored by the 100% Foundation. A greeting card is made of the painted wall panel and sold in our shops so that artists can earn an ongoing passive income. If you love the artist’s work, please support them by buying a card – they are only R25.
His artwork is for sale, and people can bid for the artwork online: https://www.wozamoya.co.za/auctions/. Bidding starts at R1 200, and there are two works on auction.
About the artist
Zata was born in Zimbabwe in 1983 and grew up in a rural village just outside of Harare. He was raised very near the Dombashova Caves, where there was a flourishing tourist market, and many artists and carvers made an income by selling traditional wood sculptures to the tourists. Zata’s grandfather was one of the carvers who sold his sculptures there, and his six uncles were also involved in carving and carved wooden yokes for oxen, cooking spoons, plates and the more detailed African sculptures, from wood harvested from nearby forests. Even the tools for carving were handmade wood and iron tools made by his family. Zata, his cousin and brother, became involved in the work and helped with the fine finishing and polishing of the work.
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During Covid-19, with the shutdown of the markets that fed his family, Zata took a job in a factory where he was cutting wood for furniture. Unfortunately, there was an accident, and three of his fingers were cut off. This was a traumatic period for him as his ability to provide was again thwarted. His hand was slow to heal, and after two months, it still bled when he tried to carve or hold a piece of wood, and even though he tried to carve and to teach his brother, it seemed impossible that he would ever be able to carve and do what he loved doing. This was a very difficult time for him both physically and mentally. It was out of desperation and frustration that he slowly started to carve again, and it was terribly frustrating as everything took longer to do and small bread-and-butter carvings took days instead of hours. He still covers his hand with a glove as talking about the loss is still too difficult and too raw, but his positive outlook and amazing attitude – that he will overcome this disability – is commendable.
Zata’s is a wonderful story of the triumph of the human spirit, of bravery and courage.
“We are honoured to have Zata Deswage as the artist of the month as he is a well-known carver. Zata is at the Shongweni Market on a Saturday, so please support him. Thanks so much to Christine Standeven, the owner of the market, who has been a great pillar of support to Zata over this difficult period,” said Woza Moya’s Paula Thomson.
Shop opening times:
Woza Moya is based at the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, 26 Old Main Road in Hillcrest, and is open from Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00 and from 09:00 to 17:00 at Woza Moya Windermere Centre. On Saturdays, the HACT shop is open from 08:00 to 14:00 and from 09:00 to 14:00 at Windermere. Woza Moya is the economic empowerment project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.
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