Cynthia Zukas
Cynthia Zukas (19 February 1931 – 23 November 2024) was a South African-born Zambian painter. She received the Order of the British Empire in 2012.
Cynthia Zukas
Levy Syanseke · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Cynthia Zukas
- Born
- 19 February 1931
- Birthplace
- Cape Town, Union of South Africa
- Died
- 23 November 2024
- Education
- University of Cape Town (BA, Fine Art)
- Known for
- Drawing, Teaching Art, Painting, Printmaking
- Spouse
- Simon Zukas
- Nationality
- Zambia
- Occupation
- painter
- Honours
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
- Languages
- English
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Cynthia Zukas (19 February 1931 – 23 November 2024) was a South African-born Zambian painter. She received the Order of the British Empire in 2012.
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Cynthia Zukas (1931–2024) was a painter, a national of Zambia. The painter was born in Cape Town.
Cynthia Zukas was educated at University of Cape Town. The painter worked for Zambia National Visual Arts Council.
Languages used include English. Honours include Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Cynthia Zukas • Born — 19 February 1931 • Birthplace — Cape Town, Union of South Africa • Died — 23 November 2024 • Education — University of Cape Town (BA, Fine Art) • Known for — Drawing, Teaching Art, Painting, Printmaking • Spouse — Simon Zukas
Early life and education
Early life and education
Zukas was born on 19 February 1931 in Cape Town, South Africa. She was Jewish. Zukas went to school in South Africa, where she started her art career, and later went to London where she studied as an art teacher. In London, she met Simon Zukas who she later married.
Career
Career
After a few years, Simon and Cynthia moved to Zambia and Cynthia became a full-time housewife. The two have two children. During her free time, she used to draw, which she did until her death. A few years after coming to Zambia, she was introduced to the Lusaka Art Society. This is where she met different artists and became the secretary of the society. It was later that she cofounded the Lechwe Trust, an organization aimed at developing visual arts in Zambia. She also played a large role in the Zambia National Visual Arts Council (VAC). Some of the artists that she notes who have contributed to the Zambia's art are Henry Tayali and Valentine Musakanya. It was through her artwork that Zukas earned herself international recognition even among westerners.
Death
Death
Zukas died on 23 November 2024, aged 93.
Awards
• Year — Award — Category — Result • 2000 — National Arts Council — Ngoma award for outstanding contribution in the development of the visual arts • 2011 — Julia Chikamoneka Freedom Award — Press Freedom Committee of The Post Newspaper (PFC) — Honored • 2012 — Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain an Order of the British Empire (MBE) — For promoting visual arts in Zambia and for creating a historical archive of Zambian art — Received
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Cynthia Zukas’ 50 creative years
- 2.Mwale, Nelly. Neglected but Not Forgotten: Jews and Nation Building in the Zambian Public Sphere Through the Life Trajectory of Cynthia Sarah Zukas. Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary e-Journal. 16. 1. 2019. 1209-9392.
- 3.Cynthia Zukas - Chalo Chatu, Zambia online encyclopedia
- 4.I.B. Tauris Publishers in association with The Council for Zambia Jewry. Zion in Africa: the Jews of Zambia. 280. 1999. 9781860644054.
- 5.ZWICCT. Diary Notebook. 1993.
- 6.African Studies Association. The Arts of Africa: An Annotated Bibliography. 1992. 9789992828472.
- 7.Taylor, Scott D. Culture and Customs of Zambia. Greenwood Publishing Group. 60. 2006. 9780313332463.
- 8.Focus on Africa - 'Being involved with the artists has helped keep me young' - BBC Sounds. www.bbc.co.uk.
- 9.ZNBC. Art Icon Cynthia Zukas Has Died. 23 November 2024.
- 10.Times of Zambia Cynthia Zukas’ 50 creative years.
- 11.Julia Chikamoneka Freedom Award
- 12.Cynthia Zukas
- 13.Queen Elizabeth Bestows The Order Of British Empire On Zukas.
- 14.Mulenga, Andrew. Andrew Mulenga's Hole In The Wall: Queen honours Cynthia Zukas. Andrew Mulenga's Hole In The Wall. 2012-06-28.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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