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Precious Manomano Youth Interactive Writer
Decades ago, creative scenes in Zimbabwe were relatively tiny and cliquish.
Those who dared to dabble their hands in art, were considered misfits with no sense of direction.
However the ongoing explosion of interest in contemporary art from all age groups now mean more of everything: more artists; more galleries: more excitement and energy.
Artists will attest that not only does art put food on the table, but it is a liberating space, where one can dare to dream.
Munyaradzi Butaumocho, a former University of Zimbabwe student, is among upcoming young artists, who has found art to be a liberating pastime.
Butaumocho forms a growing discerning group of youths in Zimbabwe who uses drawings or illustrations to narrate a story, or put feelings, emotions and expressions to paper.
Butaumocho’s artwork is prolific and surreal that the naked eye struggles to distinguish between the drawing and the photograph.
He does illustrations of children’s books, album covers and comics. In doing this, Butaumocho uses an array of software that includes Adobe illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, the traditional pencil and various water colours.
“Artistry is one of the most underrated talents in some Zimbabwean communities, starting from how people fail to see the value of drawing to how they greatly discourage mostly children from doing it,” Butaumocho said in an interview recently.
In tertiary institutions that offer a variety of qualifications in multiple disciplines, artists are often derided for choosing what is regarded as a meaningless career path. Drawing is mocked by the ill-informed who are under the mistaken impression that it is a waste of time.
He discovered that it was his passion when he was still at primary level and he started tutorials from YouTube, with the assistance of his brother, who helped him to research and draw his pictures with his help.
While many people would scoff at his passion, his parents were very supportive.
“I love drawing and my drawings communicate messages so when l was young I liked to watch cartoons so my ultimate goal was to draw cartoons,” he said.
However with time, Butaumocho realised that art had lot more to offer than just drawing cartoons. He started drawing people of different stature. In no time, he had mastered the illustrations. With no connections, save for his ingenuity, Butaumocho struggled to put his products on the market and had to use social media platforms to reach out to art lovers.
In no time, he was getting inquiries, but not meaningful enough to secure him a sale even for a dollar.
The young man did not despair.
“After all, I was enjoying what I was doing, ” said Butaumocho, who recently graduated from the University of Zimbabwe with a degree in clinical psychology. His portfolio grew gradually and eventually caught the discerning eye of Ignatius Mabasa, a prolific Shona writer.
He was then commissioned on a small project to work on children’s books, a task he delivered.
“I am now confident. My performance is improving each and every day so I’m not sure if there is any need to go to a training school.”
Butaumocho says he works with musicians to convey their messages well through drawings.
He urged other youths to work hard, desist from criminal activities and focus on their work seriously.
Drawing has been compulsory since childhood. And for crèche and early primary education, drawing is the main subject. But as people grow older, some students grow out of drawing but others only get better.
It is all very well that some forms of drawing are only developed so that views can have some aesthetic experience. Yet aesthetic experience has commonly added value to old works rich with historical significance or products by the revered
However, if the artist was to work with the music icon and create the image as an album cover or for other promotional purposes, the drawing’s value would certainly rise.
A drawing, be it graphic art, life drawing, observation, still life or illustration can be used to entertain, inform or educate. When a drawing carries a purpose, it has a target market that it is useful to.
When art carries a message and is understood by an audience, it naturally becomes valuable. An art student therefore must not simply strive to improve drawing technique and style, he or she must identify the type of messages that their products can carry because art for art’s sake worked in centuries gone past, because then life was not as expensive as it has become. Carrying a message equals claiming relevance in an increasingly competitive creative sphere. With every passing year, Butaumocho’s art grows larger, his themes more ambitious.
Online Reporter