Pioneering South African sculptor Michael Gagashe Zondi is well known for his carved wooden figural works that draw on biblical themes. Born and raised in KwaZulu-Natal, he trained in woodworking at the Swedish Lutheran mission trade school. In 1949, he went on to be a woodworking instructor at the same school. Zondi began sculpting at the age of 25 and in the late 1950s he enrolled in a fine arts