Chitungwiza Arts Centre sculptor Taurai Maisiri has established himself as one of Zimbabwe’s finest wildlife artists.
By Moses Mugugunyeki
His pieces of work have been bought by several top personalities who include Zimbabwe’s first family, former Namibia president Sam Nujoma and a former Senegalese president.
“I never imagined that my pieces would attract top personalities like the first family, Sam Nujoma and I am told one former Senegalese president bought one of my pieces,” he said.
The 59-year-old sculptor’s love for animals, especially the buffalo (which is his totem) has earned him the moniker Buffalo Doctor.
“I fell in love with wildlife because my father worked on a farm,” Maisiri said. “I grew up surrounded by wildlife which has inspired my work greatly during my 35 years in the trade.”
Maisiri was born on September 9 1959 in Nyazura and attended St Thomas Mavhezha Primary School in the same area from 1968 to 1974. He only reached Grade 7 before he moved to Harare.
“I served as a trainee sculptor under my uncle Lameck Zano between 1982 and 1985. From 1986 to 1989, I worked for Chapungu Sculpture Park as an independent sculptor while the company assisted mainly with the marketing of pieces,” he said.
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In 1990 Maisiri was compelled to leave Chapungu Sculpture Park as a result of political differences between government and owners of the sculpture park.
“For the first seven years I operated from my home but moved to Chikwanha Shopping Centre where I operated from 1997 to 1998. I also taught upcoming sculptors and I think I have 25 sculptors who have passed through my hands,” he said.
His greatest moment was in 1999 when he was among a handful of artists who had been invited to the National Gallery of Zimbabwe to meet Queen Elizabeth, who was on a State visit to Zimbabwe.
“It was one of my greatest achievements in my career to be invited by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe to a function which was mainly arranged for Queen Elizabeth II. This was on account of my distinguished works of art,” he said.
“In 2010, I was commissioned to do a life size sheep by the founder and president of Zaoga Ezekiel Guti and I have received orders from other distinguished people in and outside the country.”
A father of five, Maisiri believes he still has energy to pull through in the cut-throat arts industry.
“I am still in the game as long as God gives me strength and wisdom to soldier on. I am happy that I am still training upcoming artists. At the moment I have a student under my supervision from Chinhoyi University of Technology,” he said.
While most local sculptors are accustomed to foreign trips, Maisiri said he had never gone outside Zimbabwe in his 35-year career.
“I have been successful in the trade, just like anyone who had been outside the country. I have used local and foreign buyers and curators to market my products in the country and it worked for me,” he said.
The veteran sculptor who has managed to buy a house and modernised his rural home through sculpting urged upcoming artists not to rush to produce so that they pocket money.
“In this industry, patience is a virtue. You need time to work on your product and find appropriate markets,” he said.
The sculptor said he was happy operating at Chitungwiza Arts Centre, which he said has grown to be one of the greatest arts rendezvous in the country.
The centre’s chairman Taurai Tigere said most of the artists at the centre bank on the experience of people like Maisiri.
“These are some of the experienced guys whom we go to for assistance. We are priviledged as a centre to have someone like him,” Tigere said.
