Rufaro Ngoma was born in 1981 in Nyanga, a beautiful mountainous region near the Mozambique border with a strong sculpting tradition. He completed both his primary and secondary education at Avila Missionary School, excelling in arts and crafts.

“I grew up loving sculptures,” he says. “I used to visit the Nyanga Art Centre and watch the artists when I was a child.” He started by assisting the senior sculptors at the centre and then gradually started creating his own work. “It takes lime to mix and mingle and to learn from the cross pollination of ideas,” Rufaro explains.

After he left school Rufaro apprenticed with his cousin Cephas Mashaya. Cephas introduced him to his family's sculpting workshop in Harare and in 2002 Rufaro was invited to join them. He continues to be an active member of the workshop.

Like many Zimbabwean sculptors the stone itself is an important source of inspiration. Rufaro acknowledges that once he starts to work with the stone his original concept can change. His dialogue with the stone is dynamic and ongoing throughout the creative process.

Fran Fearnley, former Curator ZimArt, observed that “Rufaro draws on everyday life and the rich traditions of African culture as sources of inspiration for his art. Mothers play with their babies, birds soar and lovers kiss for the first time. Rufaro’s joyful depictions of the human family and nature come from a deeply spiritual place. His sculptures capture and celebrate the familiar in a way that makes the ordinary seem remarkable”.

In 2008 Rufaro was invited to the Netherlands where he participated in a group exhibition of Zimbabwean sculpture and also led three months of sculpting workshops. He was awarded a certificate of merit for his teaching.

Rufaro moves between representational and semi-abstract forms of expression to convey simple yet compelling stories about African culture. The human family, the interconnectedness between man and nature and the wisdom of ancestors are recurring themes in his work.

Although he lives in Harare, Rufaro still visits his original rural home in Nyanga frequently and continues to be inspired by the beauty of the region.

Rufaro's distinctive sculptures have sold to galleries and collectors in Germany, the UK, the US, South Korea, the Netherlands, South Africa and Canada. He has been represented in Canada since 2003.