The Shona people are descendants of several native peoples of the African region which includes Zimbabwe and parts of Mozambique. Sculpting in stone is an ancient tradition with the Shona people. In the mid twentieth century there was a surge of interest in Shona sculpture and it became highly sought after by art collectors and museum curators around the world. Shona sculpture is known for its elegant, contemporary lines. The sculptures often reflect a spiritual nature.



Lazarus Takawira was guided and influenced in the art of stone sculpting by his brothers, the late John Takawira, and the late Bernard Takawira, two of Zimbabwe’s most prominent sculptors. In 1980, Lazarus completed his training and became a professional sculptor in his own right. Among his collectors are Prince Charles and Sir Richard Attenborough. The art of Lazarus Takawira is or has been exhibited in museums, galleries and other venues including but not necessarily limited to the following:
Gimpel Fils Gallery, London, England
Highwick House, Auckland, New Zealand
Irvine Sculpture Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, MN
Matombo Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
Mhiripiri Gallery, Bloomington, MN
Museum of Bombay, Bombay, India
Musee du Rodin, Paris, France
Musee National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Oceanie, Paris, France
Royal Museum of Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
Shonambo Art Gallery, Nurnberg, Germany
Stone Dynamics Collective, Cannes, France
World Bank, New York, NY
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, West Yorkshire, England
Zimbabwean National Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
ZimSculpt, Harare, Zimbabwe