Chakanyuka is a first-generation sculptor whose work embodies an ancient African spiritual sensibility and a Shona social sentiment. A tendency that's often evident in his work is a style that strives to preserve the natural shape and form of his material rather than altering it.

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He works in stone and wood and began exploring sculpture at the early age of 13, crafting wooden cooking utensils for his mother, along with his late older brother, who showed him the basics of the craft. In 1983, he presented his first stone creation to the government department of prisons as part of a presentation to introduce sculpture as rehabilitation training for inmates, a program he headed until he retired in 2008.

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Now in his 70s, he leads a simple life as a farmer in the Midlands region of Zimbabwe, where he occasionally finds a dry log or good stone to continue his storytelling. His recent pieces are as profound as they are beautiful, reflecting the long journey he has walked.