Goodson Mlera

Born in the capital city of Zimbabwe(Harare) on 17 April 1988. He grew up in the high density suburbs of Harare(Tafara). He did his primary and secondary education in Tafara.
He was inspired by seeing the work in stone of Luxon Gutsa, however, that prompted Goodson to begin sculpting in stone. In 1999 when he was eleven during his sixth level of his primary education, he began sculpting as a result of encouragement from Jim Sephani.
Goodson says, "at first my family did not like it, they wanted me to finish school and do a white collar job. But to my suprise, I now look after my parents through my sculpting proffession. I was born an artist, I enjoyed the subject of drawing at school, the school teachers today are using some of the diagrams and maps I drew. My resolution is not only to be a serious full time artist but also a successful one."
Goodson being a new and young artist at the time he began to sculpt, he was forced to abandon his efforts to establish himself as a sculptor. He only sculpted in his spare time for six years(1999 - 2005) as he was still at school. Since 2006 after finishing his ordinary level, however, he has worked full time as a sculptor and has established himself an original and creative talent among Zimbabwean young sculptors.
He has the ability to use natural and spiritual elements of stone and create sculptures that are incredible and expressive at a mood emotin. His sculptures also speak of parenthood, innocence, protection and love. He is commited to potraying the ever changing aspects of his culture, the durability of his message spurs him to use increasingly harder stones. He enjoys to use the hardest springstone so that people will be able to understand things in years to come.

Ideas sometimes comes from the shape of the stone. As you work on it it forms under your fingers. As you work ideas come, feelings are recalled, ideas remembered - all these go into the stone or come out of it. Sometimes i have to express my feelings and i change the shape of the stone completely. My work is just an adventure - i don't know how it comes. A man born an artist, it is inside you, it forces you to sculpt or paint, just as a musician must make music, fate, my art is very important to me. An artist is someone who tries to show people what he thinks, feels, sees. He brings a better understanding of certain to people. Art speaks a silent language which is understood by everybody.