Author of 10 iconostases, the artisan who defied obstacles to carve wood

Making wood speak through its carving is more than art. It is passion and of course work and dedication.

These handmade wood works are the work of the wood carving master, Ziso Musha, the only one from the family who deservedly inherited this profession. Today, at the age of 68, he has been dedicated to this craft for almost 55 years.

These works are followed by years of sacrifices and challenges, both with family conditions and the inability to attend the relevant school. But in the end, passion overcame all obstacles.

"We have had wood carving as a legacy in our tribe, and it has been passed down through the generations. I was fortunate that my uncle was a master woodworker. When the afternoon came, I would go, when it will fall, I said, so that I can see it myself. I looked at those tools and it entered my blood. I also started with drawings when I was little. Being far away from Fier with Portza, I ran away on foot to Fier, I went to the drawing course from that time, I'm talking about '66. Unable to go to high school for sculpture, I can honestly say that I achieved what I wanted, despite being self-taught. Here I made about 10 iconostasis of churches in Albania, handmade."

Today, such craftsmen can be counted on the fingers of one hand throughout the country, and for Ziso it is unfortunate that the new generation is moving towards emigration without taking any trade.

"Municipalities should be interested in these professions that are about to disappear. I have one in Fier, with grains, one in Korça, where we can find some in Kruja, one in Gjirokastër. And if this generation is gone, a gap is created, a separation. You have the door open everywhere, you got a profession, you are honorable, you are good at yourself. I see that our children are going out without a profession."

With the concern that very few artisans of his generation are the latest in woodworking, Ziso does not stop asking the local government and state institutions to guide young people towards handicrafts, as they are crafts that have survived through time. (A2 Televizion)