Zimbabwean Bernard Mavunga has been passionate about sculpture since childhood, when he used to watch his uncle Biggie Kapeta (one of Zimbabwe's finest sculptors), at work. Bernard set up Mara to increase exposure of this uniquely beautiful art form.
Mara is the Shona name for the impala antelope, which is Bernard's family totem. In Zimbabwean culture, everyone has an animal totem to watch over them and, in return, they must respect and protect their animal.
This relationship of mutual respect forms the basis of Mara's business practice. We believe in fair trade and always buy direct from the artists. We aim to grow our business to provide diverse and reliable markets for sculptors.