Zacharia Mbutha, 1949

Zachariah Mbutha W. Kamicha, known as Zacharia Mbutha, was born in 1949 in Kamburu Village, Kenya.

In 1968, Mbutha won an award in an all-African art competition. Although he trained and worked as a teacher for many years, his passion for art never faded. In 1979, he resigned from his position as a primary school headmaster to devote himself more fully to painting.

Mbutha’s work is the result of personal experimentation and the occasional library books on modern art that he encountered. From studying the modern masters, he developed his own distinctive style. Van Gogh inspired his bold use of color and energetic, dabbed brushwork, while Picasso’s 1920s period influenced his monumental, imposing figures.

Known as a social commentator, Mbutha’s paintings reflect the tensions between traditional African life and the rapidly changing modern world. In recent years, he has expanded his themes to include love, conservation, hunger, and poverty. A dedicated and self-critical artist, he often reworks his paintings until fully satisfied. His technique of applying paint in small dabs creates a dense, vibrant tapestry of color.

Zacharia Mbutha is internationally recognized, and his work is held in public and private collections around the world.