Roy Guthrie Archive

South African-born Roy Guthrie took over McEwen's legacy. After McEwen left the National Gallery, the museum's activities were severely curtailed in the 1970s and '80s. The commitment of private sponsors became crucial. The bloody civil war, which lasted for more than 15 years, culminated in the independence of the new Zimbabwe in 1980. Many artists were sidelined, resigned, gave up their work. Roy Guthrie provided moral and financial support to individual sculptors. Deep friendships developed between Roy Guthrie and Shona-Artists such as John Takawira, Sylvester Mubayi, Joram Mariga, Henry Munyaradzi, Bernard Takawira, Nicholas Mukomberanwa, and Boira Mteki.

In the years that followed, Roy Guthrie began to organize exhibitions abroad. Their success gave the artists impetus and spurred on younger talent as well. During the first six years after independence, Roy Guthrie's Gallery Shona Sculpture - which later became Chapungu Sculpture Park - was responsible for all major international exhibitions of Shona-Art. 
Today, the gallery owns the world›s largest collection of Shona sculptures. As a mentor and patron, Guthrie created unique
"memorials" of Shona culture with Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare and Loveland, Colorado. Guthrie sees the promotion, appreciation, and documentation of Shona-Art as his life's work.

Sculpture has taken a new direction in Zimbabwe. Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare is an academy, archive, museum, and park at the same time. The scholarship holders of Chapungu Sculpture Park do innovative work. Aware of their deeply rooted tradition in Shona culture and the dialog between generations, they seek new forms of expression. Roy Guthrie and Marcey Mushore are committed to the future of Zimbabwe. Roy was a visionary, whose passion for art and culture led him to establish Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare in 1970. Under his guidance and unwavering dedication, Chapungu has grown to become a symbol of artistic excellence, hosting numerous exhibitions around the globe. Mr. Guthrie’s collection of Zimbabwean stone sculptures, which he meticulously curated, is the largest in the world and is proudly displayed at Chapungu Sculpture Park in Harare, Chapungu Sculpture Park in Colorado, and various gardens across Europe.

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Additionally, he possessed a profound appreciation for music, harboring a special affinity for our indigenous instrument, the mbira. Since its inception, Chapungu has been instrumental in promoting the arts in Zimbabwe and beyond. Many of the greatest artists can attest to Mr. Guthrie’s influential role in shaping their work and propelling them to fame. His relentless determination to push visual art into the global space has left an indelible mark on the artistic landscape, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.

During this time of mourning, we kindly request respect and understanding from the community. We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Father, Founder and Director, but also find solace in celebrating a life lived with passion and purpose. Mr. Guthrie’s contributions to the artistic world will forever be cherished, and his memory will remain etched in our hearts.

May he rest in eternal peace.