Art runs in Ndudzo's blood
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday August 1, 2023 06:00
In an interview with Showtime, Ndudzo said he was inspired by his brother Shepherd Ndudzo, a wood sculptor who was taught by their father, the late Bananas Ndudzo.
Martin further explained that he was inspired by the fact that when he was at a school of arts, he used to visit his brother Shepherd and the late Bananas to help them with sand papering and many more.
He added that he ended up getting interested to an extent of making funny small pieces. He said he learnt art at the Zimbabwe National Art Gallery School. "I could have chosen to be a boiler maker but because of hardships, I end up following the Ndudzo Art Legacy but I am the only one dealing with metal. Others are focused on wood. The public loves my artworks.
They buy them because they are small and they do not take too much space when it comes to display," he said. Furthermore, he explained that among all his artworks he had his first collection that he loves the most. He explained that it was his first piece at school adding that his teacher Victor Nyakauru advised him not to sell but rather keep it.
Martin explained that it was the only piece which reminded him of where he was and how he improved over the years. However, just like other artists, he said he faces some problems such as lack of machinery because some of them are very expensive and he could not afford to buy them. He, however, pointed out that the ups and downs were part of their journey as artists. "I have achieved a lot in welding smart joints, how to control current on an inverter depending on the metals that we are working on. For the next few coming years, I will be happy if I would do street art. Apart from sculpture, I also do crafts like bracelets, small paintings and some batiks I also learnt at school," he said.
He further advised upcoming artists to never give up and have some time to improve their work. He added that when it comes to making metal sculptures, they should be free to go to him so he could help them for free. "I just want to thank everybody in terms of supporting my work. I also want to say even though the old man has left, we are still pushing," he said.