Chronicle Editor
Sandisiwe Gumbo, Sunday Life Reporter
In a remarkable display of artistic ability, Hamilton High School student Christen Mapanzure (16) is excelling in art with his extraordinary talent for drawing.
At the age of 9, Mapanzure began honing his skills and has since become extraordinary in art, specialising in portraiture. Mapanzure’s passion was ignited by his older brother Clifford (21), whose own artistic abilities served as a source of inspiration. Seeking to improve his craft, he turned to online resources for tutorials, which provided valuable guidance and helped him refine his technique.
“My brother loved drawing from when I was at a young age. I would watch and try to copy his work. At Grade 4, I started accessing internet to watch videos which helped in improved my skills,” he said.
Drawing portraits quickly became Mapanzure’s specialty, and he has since created stunning portraits of different people. His most recent triumph came in the form of a portrait of Hamilton High School’s esteemed headmistress, Mrs Doris Ngwenya capturing her likeness with remarkable precision.
Mapanzure draws on his inborn talent, which appears to run in the family, as both of his siblings also possess artistic abilities.
“Art comes from within me as it runs within my family, there are three boys within the family and all of us can draw, although the youngest is still finding his feet in art.”
“The pencils I use make my art not as realistic as I would love it to be, if only I can be equipped with proper equipment for my work. It is also my wish to put painting in my art, but I however, fail as I don’t have money to buy my own painting equipment. I have the painting skills that I cannot further improve due to lack of equipment,” Christen lamented, with hopes of being able to receive assisted of painting equipment.
Mapanzure draws inspiration from renowned artists such as Kelvin Okafor and Arinze Stanley, who have achieved international acclaim for their hyper-realistic portraits. Their mastery of the craft serves as a constant motivation for Mapanzure to push the boundaries of his own artistic capabilities.
With dreams of working at an art gallery in the future, Mapanzure’s dedication to his craft has not gone unnoticed by his art teacher. Describing him as a passionate student who excels in his artistic endeavours, the teacher praises Mapanzure for his exceptional talent and commitment to continuous improvement.
“Art is an inborn thing that Christen has, not only is he passionate for art, he has an inner drive within him. He is a dedicated young man with enthusiasm in whatever he does and a good role model in the classroom,” mentioned Mrs Thembelani Ndlovu, Mapanzure’s art teacher.
According to Clifford Mapanzure, Chrispen’s brother who inspired him into art, he has witnessed a significant growth in Chrispen’s passion for art ever since he first started drawing with a pencil.
In recognition of his outstanding work at school, Mapanzure was honoured with an award at this year’s prize-giving ceremony.
Bongani Ndlovu