Lerone Wilson, a Brooklyn-born and Bronx-based artist, isn’t using clay or paint for his creations. Instead, he uses beeswax to hang on the wall of some of the most exclusive galleries in the world.
Inside the unassuming warehouse in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx is lot of busy buzzing from Wilson carving beeswax into beautiful sculptures.
He blends together different types of wax and other bee byproducts to sculpt 3-D blocks that look like the surface of another planet.
He mixes in different colors and incorporates African, mostly Egyptian, motifs to create pieces that sell from $6,000 to $66,000. His work has buzzed out of the borough and into galleries around the world and shows like Art Basel in Miami.
He says he grew up in Crown Heights as the son of a metal worker father and a creative mother who never got the chance to dive into the art world. His background drives him to keep moving forward and be grateful for his gifts.
Wilson says he’s excited to not only get the word out about his artwork but also about the vital role bees play in society and how they need to be protected.