Wilson Mesha
Wilson Mesha, born on 11th December 1946, a Zambian by birth. His parents brought the family to Zimbabwe in 1950.
Wilson attended St Erick´s Primary School in Norton, Zimbabwe where he admired the granite stones scattered in the Nharira Hills. He attended Marirangwe in Mhondoro. ´´Can life not come from these stones´´ he asked himself.
Wilson left school in 1965 and worked as a domestic worker for fourteen years. He then decided to get a driving licence and worked for Greenside Quarries in Darwendale as a driver until 1979, where after he worked in a printing shop. In 1981 Wilson joined the Gallery Shona Sculpture as a driver. From 1986, he was greatly influenced by the various artists working at Chapungu.
His first sculpture was the ´´Calling Bird´´ (Verdite 1982), showing a bird signalling its friends so that it can be heard in times of trouble.
Wilson is a family man, who comes from a society made up of people from different beliefs and cultural backgrounds. He is a devoted Christian, who believes that God is almighty and allows him to keep in touch with his traditions. He believes that everyone should be humble, no matter how famous they are. Humble Girl (Springstone 2002) represents this believe of his.
Currently Wilson is a driver at Chapungu Sculpture Park, who makes sure that stones and sculpture leave for their destinations the world over.
He carves when he is not working, lunch times and weekends, and he says what is in the blood cannot be taken away. He sees sculpture as a means for harnessing idle resources, filling fruitfully, wasted time.
Wilson is married and the father of seven children
Wilson´s ambition is to become well known in Zimbabwe and overseas. His work has been exhibited in the U.S.A, Germany, Switzerland, Nederland, UK, Australia and Hong Kong and The Gallery Shona Sculpture in Zimbabwe.
Artist Sculpture:
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