A force behind the pencil

NHLAKANIPHO Mkhize, a 34-year-old self-taught pencil artist from Vryheid, now based in Durban’s North Beach, captured the eye of the internationally acclaimed DJ, Nkosinathi Maphumulo, famously known as Black Coffee, years ago. The illustrator sketched a drawing of the Grammy-award winning DJ, earning him his first big paycheck. Performing artist describes the joys of being a creative illustrious resume in theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

“I started drawing when I was in primary school. My grandmother, who raised me when my mom passed on, was very strict so I was not allowed to play on the streets. I spent all my time indoors or at school, so I would just draw to keep busy, drawing the people I knew and the cartoons I watched on TV,” said Mkhize.

Also read: Performing artist describes the joys of being a creative

Mkhize says he moved around frequently as a child, which prevented him from making friends, and as he grew older, he became more and more introverted.

According to Mkhize, this gave him more time to perfect his craft. Durban where he registered to study architecture at the Durban University of Technology. It was here that he was exposed to various forms of art. He said his love for art galleries and the work of fellow artists flourished once he arrived in Durban.

His journey was not plain sailing because while adjusting to life as a student, Mkhize had to move back to Vryheid to tend to his sick grandmother. After a year of taking care of his grandmother, Mkhize moved back to Durban to continue his studies. Sadly, his grandmother passed on in 2017 – a person whom he attributes all his success to. Over the years, Mkhize has created numerous portraits of famous figures and everyday people, his favourite being that of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu whom he says he grew up hearing about.

“My grandmother and I moved around a lot while I was growing up as we could not find a stable home, and I didn’t meet my dad until 2014. This made me more reserved but also meant I had more than enough time to draw, unbeknownst to me that, one day, I would make what I thought was just a hobby into my second source of income,” added Mkhize.

Also read: Local programme aims to empower artists

“When I met with His Majesty, I wished my grandmother could’ve been there with me to witness how far my drawings had taken me. I could not believe I was in the presence of a king I had grown up hearing lots of stories about,” said Mkhize.

According to Mkhize, some people dismiss his artwork as mere editing, which is why he has resorted to taking videos of his work process. He says it takes him approximately 150 hours to complete a single drawing on A0 paper and approximately 42 hours on an A2 paper.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.