Meet Last Kode Siyavhida 37 years old and Mischie Cetsh Hlekwayo 35 years old old. They are living with their families in a high-density area near the capital of Zimbabwe.
Tell us about your art:
Mishie: We do up-cycled metal birds and animals.
What’s so special about yours:
Last: Ours are some of the better in Zimbabwe. We spend a lot of time finding the right materials and we have good models and we take our time making the pieces.
Mishie: We pay a lot attention to details which make ours outstanding.
Mishie: We try to use the right raw materials for the right parts of the figures so the heads have smaller pieces of metal or the small animals are covered with smaller decorations and that’s what make our art special.
Last: We are trying to make it nearly “more live than live,” in a funny sort of way. That’s why customers like them so much. The metal bits come to new life as a bird or an animal.
Why is this occupation important to you
Mishie: I have always been fascinated by metal and love to experiment with forms and shapes while welding, and then we earn money for our families.
Last: I like the process of finding and reclaiming recycled metal from the industrial areas and turning it into a piece of art.
Mishie: Yes, the fun in finding small pieces of metal in electric boards or heating system or cooler systems
Last: It’s our main source of income and we are ok, the children are going to school and we are healthy enough.
What kinds of items do you usually make?
Last: I make Peacocks, Pelicans and Geese w. goslings mainly. These are well known birds all over the world.
Mishie: I like to do the Moscus Ducks, Frogs, Hare or the Fish Eagle, both of us are doing, lots of different pieces. The Fish Eagle is sold many places, but in Africa or Australia its always with a snake but in Europe or Canada it’s always a fish.
What’s your relationship with House by the sea?
Mishie: They have been our customer for several years now, but we would like to have more from them, so we are working on new products, better priced for the Fairtrade and the World shops.
How do you the future for you and your family in Zimbabwe?
Last: We hope to be able to have our own workshop with our own generator one day
Mishie: The future looks ok…we hope, but Zimbabwe is Zimbabwe. Most of us have learned to live through the ever-going crisis. As long as we have work, we have a future!
See Mishie and Last’s products
The handmade labour of love of Mishie and Last can be
purchased here along with many other in our Metal category.
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