Born on September 26, 1992, in the city of Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Pardon Mapondera is the only child in his family but he was raised by his grandparents who had five children. He did his primary and secondary education from 1999 to 2008. Due to the country’s economic and political frustrations, his education was disturbed and the lessons were not constant, but never the less he managed to complete at least his secondary education. He applied at the National Gallery Visual Art and Design (formerly British American Tobacco School of Art) after he was advised to since art is his passion, he wanted to enrich his knowledge. In 2011, he took his time preparing a portfolio to apply with but unfortunately his application was not successful. He went to the countryside to do farming as well as building another portfolio to use for his next application. With his keenness, Pardon got help and guidance to erect another strong portfolio from his uncle who is a prominent visual artist (Wallen Mapondera). Finally, he was enrolled in his dream school in 2015 and graduated in 2016. He is a full-time artist based in Chitungwiza, a 20-minute drive from the CBD of Harare. He recently got a Highly Recommendation for the Zimbabwe Annual Exhibition and competition of 2017 themed ‘FORM and COLOUR’.
"I could be a game ranger maybe a farmer but art called me from a tender age. I am fascinated so much with life. I mainly focus on the story of my life, my past, presents and future, what I see, feel and what I believe in. Hoping one day my works will convey its purpose. I concentrate more on what affects me; in short, my work is a commentary of my life. I try to break away from the usual convention by picking up and using the object we utilize things every day and those that people discard. Also as an artist, I create things that go with my surroundings and how I live my life. My work respond to what I hear see or giving the missing words to the world of today and tomorrow in this contemporary era I see myself as a history maker while telling the future so life has become my source of inspiration." - Pardon Mapondera
