Meet Zacs 48 years old, Tendai 35 years old, and Denzil 38 years old. They are Shona males living in a high-density areas near the capital working for HVH Africa.
They are former auto mechanics and member of a local metal art community with 35 members. Fairtrade approved by Fairtrade Denmark via House by the Sea since 2007.
Tell us about your art:
Zacks: We do small and large birds and animals in recycled metal.
Tendai: We find and reclaim recycled metal from the industrial areas in Harare. From which we cut and weld and make new art.
Zacks: Some people call it up-cycling -making pieces of art or artifacts out of old fridges, smashed cars, parts from electric boards, or colourful drums. We can use nearly anything we can get our hands on, really.
Denzel: Welding is our method and the way we stitch the metal figures together.
What kinds of items do you usually make?
Tendai: I make ducks and geese and other birds in white reclaimed metal. I learned from my uncle.
Zacks: I’m doing brown birds in reclaimed metal and have been for more than 20 years. My speciality are the ducks in different sizes. I try to make the body language look natural.
Denzel: I like to make the bigger birds with different type of reclaimed metal. It gives them volume.
How does working together in a group with other men make you feel?
Zacks: It makes me feel good, we are complimenting each other with different art.
Tendai: Collaboration is good. We help each other and share big orders.
Denzel: It created a brotherhood where we can help each other and borrow money from each other. – and take care of each other. Mbare can be a tough place.
How does your work help or support you and the family?
Zacks: It’s our main source of income and I have eight children – luckily, half of them have moved away from home.
Denzel : I got a lot of support and help to moved trade from being a auto mechanic into finding my own voice in metal art.
Tendai: It’s my main source of income and sometimes it’s good sometimes bad – it goes up and down in show business! We have been living from hand to mouth for a long time, but we are surviving.
What’s your relationship to House by the Sea?
Tendai: We have a good working relationship. They are placing good order – well we can always take more ??? And they pay ok. They have been assisting us lots on quality control and new ideas over the years.
Is there a message you would like to send to the people who purchase the items you are making?
Zacks: I wish people around the world who buy the products made by us. They are truly making the world a cleaner and nicer place with art!
Denzel: That we like making metal art very much and will do everything to full fill orders, when we have raw materials.
Tendai: And we are happy to work night time when the power is on, just please give us more orders.
Find Zacs, Tendai and Denzil’s products
The handmade labour of love of Zacs, Tendai and Denzil can be
purchased here along with many other in our Metal category.
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