Young artist aspires to teach  

Tsakani – Siphosenkosi Mnisi (20) is an artist who enjoys sparking his imagination through self-expression by drawing portraits and paintings.

His love for art started in 2016 by exploring the creative side of 2D drawings, which earned him recognition from people around him.

“People used to tell me I would become successful because of my artwork. Lindo Zwane, the owner of the Artist Proof Studio, motivated me to work hard countless times,” he said.

Mnisi said he taught himself to execute beautiful images by watching YouTube videos, researching and practising. In Grade Five, he watched a lot of animation and practised drawing what he saw during his spare time.

“I believe I was born an artist because it all came to me effortlessly. It is my God-given talent. Being an artist has several positives, including enhanced creativity and improved mental well-being through stress reduction and emotional processing.

“It has helped boost my self-esteem and confidence. It has helped me set realistic goals, and I have pushed until I reached each goal,” he said.

Mnisi said his biggest highlight was drawing one of his friends when she baked a birthday cake in 2017.

“My friend’s mother liked her daughter’s 3D shading portrait. She suggested I enter my work in an art competition in Randburg at the time. I entered the Artsavingsclub competition and won fourth place and a trophy for my beautiful work.

“To this day, the winning serves as endless motivation and evidence that I have what it takes to succeed as an artist,” said Mnisi.

He said many people love his work and encourage him to keep improving, saying he aspires to own artistic businesses and galleries.

The main focus of the establishments would be teaching children from a tender age how to polish their skills and offer guidance and funding opportunities.

“My hands and eye for art please me because I make people happy in every expressible way. Seeing them receive their paintings with so much love and emotion pleases me.

“The goal on my journey is to become a big artist making a name for my township. I desire to make my family proud. I aim to start small.

“My desire right now is to teach others how to develop a strong artistic foundation, develop context and explore the history that comes with art,” he said.

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