Chronicle Editor
Natasha Mutsiba, [email protected]
CONSISTENCY is what made 23-year-old penciller, Brad Nkosinathi Ngwenya from Entumbane, to continue with his passion after people criticised his drawings at first.
The artist from Bulawayo who uses charcoal pencil to come up with drawings did not let people’s negative feedback deter him, but instead, he used it to improve his work.
After completing his secondary level education at Entumbane High School, the artist enrolled at Siphulwazi Virtual School, a school under the National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe and graduated in 2018. He then went to South Africa to further his studies, but unfortunately, things did not go as planned. It was during his stay in South Africa that he met negative comments.
“When I got to South Africa, I drew a client and posted the portrait on my Facebook page. The responses which I got weren’t pleasant as some said I couldn’t draw and suggested that I leave it. Only a few encouraged me to continue drawing,” said Ngwenya.
The challenges that he faced include having people criticising his work, failing to get materials for his craft and sometimes failing to get clients.
He said he decided to return home and met someone who changed the narrative.
“I came back home in 2019 and met a friend, Kelvin Mthombeni who I now refer to as a brother. He taught me how to draw a real thing on paper,” he said.
Ngwenya said people started recognising his craft in 2021 and that is when he decided to come up with a name for his works, “BradArt”. Since then, he has not looked back and now, the penciller who is inspired by Belgian artiste Brachot, has mastered the craft. He is fast becoming popular.
Moving forward, he said he would like to have his own art school where he will be able to teach other children who want to be artists. —@TashaMutsiba
Online Reporter