One of John’s works, called "Hornbill Man", was depicted on a Zimbabwean stamp issued to commemorate Commonwealth Day on 14 March 1983. It formed the 30c value in a set completed with works by Henry Munyaradzi, Joseph Ndandarika and Nicholas Mukomberanwa. Takawira was among the first Zimbabwean sculptors to combine polished areas with rougher stone on the surface of his sculptures but he avoided coloured stones, preferring "springstone" (a type of hard black serpentine) which he is said to have named because his chisel sprang away from it owing to its extreme hardness. His subjects included references to traditional Shona sources including "Mwari" (God), but women were a particular favorite which he returned to throughout his life: they were often shown with elongated necks and flowing hair. More of his works are in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe than those of any other artist. In 1988, one of John's works called "Chapungu" (a bateleur eagle) was presented to Pope John Paul II. The catalogue “Chapungu: Culture and Legend – A Culture in Stone” for the exhibition at Kew Gardens in 2000 depicts John’s sculptures "United Family" (Springstone, 1987) on p. 24-25 and "Rural Mother" (Springstone, 1986) on p. 60-61. Both show elements of John's characteristic hollowed-out style that can be considered an extension of his early skeleton figures. Takawira died suddenly in November 1989. His son Gerald Takawira also became a sculptor.