Out of the top draw: Nyanga man is first black artist to win larney prize
PASSIONATE: Artist Themba Mkhangeli, 27
A self-taught artist from Nyanga East says he’s been “creative from birth” and was recently announced as the winner of the Vuleka Art competition.
Themba Mkhangeli scooped first place on 7 August and says this is the greatest achievement for him since he turned his passion into a career.
His winning painting, called Ubuhle bendalo kaThixo (The Beauty of God’s Creation), of a young girl with a skin condition looking at a butterfly on a flower, has been sold for a staggering R37 999.50.
Anne Wells of Art. B Gallery says: “I would define his work as: mastery of a difficult medium – ball point pen.
“He has great technical prowess honed over many years.
“His portrait concept is excellent.
“Using a model that suffers from a skin condition called Vitiligo de-stigmatises the disease in the community and makes people aware that beauty exists in everyone and everyone is worthy of being immortalised in a portrait.”
Themba, 27, focused on art after dropping out of his graphic design course at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2016, due to a lack of finance.
“This means a lot to me and my art journey as a self-taught independent full-time artist,” he says.
“I am really proud to be the first black artist to win the Vuleka since the competition’s inception in 1963.
“I respect and appreciate the positive response from the public.
“I have been getting support from people around the world.”
Themba says he started painting as a young boy but never thought he could make a career out of it.
He attributes his success to his mother, saying: “My mother is the only father I know.
“She’s been selling chips, sweets, buckets and meat for more than 30 years now, rain or shine, to put food on the table and is my biggest fan.”
He aspires to run his own solo exhibition, and wants to create a platform for underprivileged artists to showcase their talent and support each other.
Themba does freelance work and is available at the THEMBA MKHANGELI ART Facebook page and some of his work is currently on display at the Art.B Gallery based in Bellville.