Zimpapers Logo

Mbulelo Mpofu, Showbiz Reporter
WITH Bulawayo celebrating its month in June, a host of creative minds are cementing the idea that the City of Kings and Queens possesses finesse artistic talent and these come in many shapes and forms.

Individuals get inspiration from diverse avenues, but the loftiest of them all is being guided by the Holy Spirit, a well where visual artist Ncomi (real name Sincominkosi Nhloswenhle Khumalo) drinks from.

Saturday Leisure sat down with Ncomi who said her journey to visual art was always written in the stars and divinely inspired.

“I’d like to say I’m a product of grace.

 

I was born a premature child and was given the nickname ‘Tiny’ because of how small I was at the time.

I am a seed that was planted in Bulawayo and I’ve blossomed into who I am now, koNtuthu still.

“My roots lie here.

I learnt at Moray and Khumalo Primary School as well as St Columba’s High School.

I’m so grateful to have discovered my love for drawing at a very young age.

My memory takes me back to Grade 1 at school where I’d enjoy drawing animals, plants and people in general.

Later on in life when I nurtured this gift, I came to discover that I am divinely inspired.

The Holy Spirit teaches me everything,” Ncomi said.

She said artists who inspire her include Kelvin Okafor, Arinze Stanley, Shanfield McLeish Moyo, Lenward Mapinde, Mkhokheli Moyo, Cedric Gumede, Keith Ndlovu and Prosper Zinge.

Ncomi specialises in black and white portraits but is not content with leaving it right there.

She has lofty heights to reach in order to “invoke emotions to viewers”.

She draws human figures with great abandon.

“I work mostly with charcoal, however, I can use Graphite and pastels.

I haven’t begun working on canvas yet as I want to polish up my black and white portraits before exploring other channels.

The standard that I’m aiming for is hyper-realism, which is basically art that looks as realistic as possible.

“This tends to invoke emotions,” she said.

The visual artist conceded excitement at the idea of being recognised in a male-dominant sector and considered herself “a gentleman”.

“It’s interesting that some of the people who make inquiries about my work assume that I’m a man.

I guess it’s because there are not so many known female pencil artists.

Being a female artist in a male-dominant sector hasn’t come with any problems yet.

I always feel the love and support from people in general and opportunities arise from the least expected places.

“At some point, I was blessed with the opportunity to meet with one of the executives of the art gallery who was filling me in about the opportunities being created for the girl child in the art world.

When I feel the nudge from within, I gladly grab such opportunities.

“Above all, I feel my work should be appreciated for what it is, just like any other artist’s work.

Let the work speak for itself, regardless of gender,” she added.

At first glance, one would think Ncomi went through some art lessons to perfect her craft, but that is not the case as she is self-taught and even at school, she did not major in Art subjects.

“It may surprise people but art is not my major field.

After I finished A-level, I went through a journey of self-discovery and praying about my purpose.

I went through a phase of self-doubt, where I literally downplayed my intelligence and felt like I wasn’t good or intelligent enough to pursue the dreams I had and still have.

“Patience is what you do while you wait, so art was my therapy while I waited for my chance to pursue my purpose. A great challenge I must say and a blessing overall.

“My future career lies in a totally different path altogether, but that’s still behind the velvet curtain for now.

All I can say is all the years of waiting and praying were not lost.

My journey is just beginning and I cannot wait to take my marathon,” said the 24-year-old.

Ncomi does not belong to the Visual Artist’s Association of Bulawayo but is open to the idea of joining an association of like-minded beings as “The future is a mystery”.

The pinnacle of all artists must be getting recognition for one’s work through gongs and medals, but that is the least of Ncomi’s worries as she believes that besides physical and tangible attributes, “God is the rewarder of mankind”.

“I do not physically have any accolades yet.

I’m not really in any rush to get them, however, should I get that privilege, I’d be greatly honoured and grateful.

Above all, at the end of the day, God is the rewarder of mankind.

I do hope God honours my work and that through it, He feels glorified.

That’s what matters most to me.”

The visual artist feels the need for up-and-coming artists and creatives to consistently reassure themselves of their capabilities when push comes to shove and confidence is on a low.

She alludes to Nas’ I can song as a referral when things go south.

“When that old man called Doubt creeps in, making you feel like you’re not good enough, shun his evil voice and remind yourself that you’re good enough, intelligent enough and worthy.

Let the legend Rapper Nas’ hook (I know I can be what I wanna be.

If I work hard in it, I’ll be what I wanna be) be your mantra.

Nurture your gifts and talents.

They will make room for you before great men.

“One of the treasures my grandfather left me was a very valuable adage, ‘Isihlahla sikhula lapho esihlanyelwe khona’.

Wherever this life takes you, stay true to yourself and to your roots.

Finally, do not seek to be famous, but seek to be influential,” she concluded.

Besides drawing, Ncomi is an avid reader of non-fiction books and biographies.

Some of her favourite reads are by renowned authors Dr Myles Munroe, Robin Sharma, Michelle Obama, Claude Bristol, Howard Gardner, just to name a few.

She also enjoys experimenting with recipes and writing poetry at times with the idea being that of embracing authorship and entrepreneurship. – @eMKlass_49