Biriyo Fernando

Biriyo is born 1941 in Mozambique, to the Marunga (pigeon) totem from the Chikunda tribe. He came to Zimbabwe near the beginning of 1960s in search of employment and found a job at Chitowatowa Farm in Centenary. Whilst at the farm, he heard about the Tengenenge Art Gallery where people were getting rich with sculpting. As a result he decided in 1971 to go for employment at the Tengenenge farm. After his work at the farm he visited the gallery and started training in sculpting in 1975, encouraged by Bernard Matemera.

He created a human head after selling it he was prepared to work on more sculptures. He went on to create human figures as well as elephants.

Biriyo works in the farm part-time and fulltime on stone sculptures. He resides at Tengenenge farm compound and every day he walks a distance of a kilometer to the gallery.

Married to Mazviitirei Nyudea, he is a father of six children of which two of his sons are also in the sculpting business. He is happily living with his family and earns a better living out of stone works.

Sculptures of Biriyo Fernando