Ntombizodwa: The artist, designer who quit her job to pursue her passion

Tafadzwa Chibukwa, Chronicle Reporter
Meet 62-year-old Miss Ntombizodwa Silonda, a retired artist and designer who never realised her potential until later in life. As a child, she attended art and craft lessons at the Mzilikazi Art and Craft Centre but never considered it as a potential career.

However, with the encouragement of her parents, Ntombizodwa enrolled in an art and craft design course at the youth centre, and her talent soon began to flourish.

After finishing college, Ntombizodwa landed a job as a textile designer at Merlin Towels, but she felt unfulfilled and continued to pursue her passion for art. In 1986, she applied for a job at the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, and she was eventually hired as a junior artist. Through hard work and determination, Ntombizodwa rose through the ranks to become the Chief Exhibitions Officer and National Co-ordinator before retiring in 2020.

Ntombizodwa is a multi-tasking artist who draws, paints, and designs. She is grateful for the support she received from her parents, who recognised her potential as an artist from a young age. Ntombizodwa also acknowledges that being an artist in today’s world is challenging, as social media has taken away the significance of art and culture.

Despite these challenges, Ntombizodwa is proud of the work she has done for her country and today she stands tall as a retired artist and designer who has great works that tell her tory.

In an interview with Chronicle, Ntombizodwa said she is a multi-tasking artist, she draws, paints and designs. Ignoring her craft, she worked as a textile designer at Merlin Towels for two years. She said having finished college in 1984 she got employed and did not see the need for her to pursue her passion for art.

“After I finished college, just like my peers I felt I had to get a job and this was seconded by my parents and everyone around me. I decided to apply for job vacancies that I came across, and eventually, I got a job at Merlin Towels as a textile designer. I worked there for a period of two-and-a-half years.

“Being someone who is passionate and expressive, I felt that I was not at the right place working at Merlin Towels. I sent my application and samples of my work to the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe in 1986. I later joined the museum that year and started operating as a junior artist. As artistic as I was, I got promoted to senior artist and head of department in the Exhibitions and Taxidermy Department in 1992. In 1996 I got promoted to Chief Exhibitions Officer and National Co-ordinator till my retirement in 2020,” said Ntombizodwa.

Ntombizodwa said she was grateful to have been an artist at the time that she was as people were very much supportive of art and culture.

“The advent of technology has taken away the privilege of being an artist as people no longer appreciate the works and the effort put in by individuals. Long ago, art was greatly appreciated and given the credit, now not so much because social media has taken away the significance, nowadays anyone can use their phones to do anything they want which discredits an artist who would have undergone training,” she said.