How it all Started

Herbert Mutize Well, it is really a long story but in short; Herbert was born on 12 June 1952 in Port Elizabeth South Africa.

Born into a big family, his father was a church missionary from Zimbabwe who enjoyed working with his hands and had the talent for it. He used this talent to make straw baskets. This he then taught Herbert who learnt quickly.

Years passed and Herbert found that he actually enjoyed carving more than making straw baskets and hats. This talent he nourished by carving in wood, often trying all types of wood which included some carving in balsa wood.

His art was so good that he thought to try and sell it and the reaction of the people was very positive. He then decided that carving was what he was better at and got onto learning different techniques in different woods. During this learning he also tried sand stone carving which he enjoyed from day one. Although the material is different to wood, the carving techniques that he had learnt was basically the same. But the finishing that he could give to his art was much better and versatile.

He then went to Zimbabwe to learn from different teachers and many techniques and when he came back, he settled in Cape Town and started selling his sculptures (which at the time were small ones) at the main entrance of the Cape Point Nature Reserve. There he saw many tourists came by and saw the opportunity to expose his art and make a revenue of it.

For 14 years he was the only trader on that spot where his work gained admiration and reputation amongst all people.

Because of his trading success other traders decided to follow his path and opened stalls at the same point. After a while Herbert saw that his work needed to be in a more exclusive site and decided to open an open air exhibition at the red hill farm. He rented the space and made a living village out of it where he has been trading ever since. This space gave him the freedom to go for larger art work and this is one of the main attractions to be seen from the road. His large statues are fit for all occasions, his unique finish and also his determination to become a successful trader has brought him to where he is today.