TZANEEN: “Art for me tells a story…”
"ART is an acronym and it stands for 'All Real Things'. It is a way I live..."
It goes without saying that talent is something worth nourishing and exploring to its greatest heights.
Ponani ‘Ocean’ Mukhansi, born and bred in Nkowankowa is a self-taught illustrative drawer and abstract painter of beautiful portraits.
Mukhansi has been drawing for 11 years with no formal training or any history of art and textures.
Using nothing more than his talent and passion, he makes a living from his drawings and he travels as far as Gauteng to showcase his talent.
“I believe a person should be more creative with their passion. I experiment a lot and that has led me to be more expressive within my art,” stated Mukhansi.
Mukhansi says that he draws his inspiration from the artists he looks up to.
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The likes of Solomon Mahlangu, The Soil and nature itself, as it offers him a variety of elements to work with and be creative around.
“Art for me tells a story, there is always a deeper element to it and in order to understand my emotions, one needs to think outside the box too. It’s not easy but I try to make my drawings and paintings simple yet explanatory in all ways so that it may attract people to my work,” exclaimed Mukhansi.
‘Ocean’ does a lot of his work in Tzaneen, near the Police Station where he sketches people, he also has some of his work displayed in an art gallery in Polokwane but he says because his art is his only form of income, some days don’t prove to be as productive as others.
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“I start my drawings and paintings in pencil and I turn them into beautiful art using mediums such as pastels, acrylic paint and coffee to mention a few,” stated Mukhansi.
He also made mention of how he would like to study Arts just so he can have a better chance of being known, having his work pull in more people who can offer him a better chance at being an artist and also gain a chance at travelling the world doing what he loves most.
“ART is an acronym and it stands for ‘All Real Things’. It is a way I live… my identity and I use it for meditation. I use my heart to draw and put the pain with the painting on top of my canvas,” exclaimed Mukhansi.
He has done drawings of Ricky Rick, DJ Fresh, Nasty C, Cassel Mathale and Hosi Nwamitwa to mention but a few.
Ponani, being so enriched with his roots and being driven by his background says the one thing that keeps him going is the fact that he knows he is an inspiration to someone else.
“Just as I first got into the love for drawing from an old school mate of mine, I know that someone else with the same talent or a similar one is looking to me for not only inspiration but motivation to keep going. So if I give up now, I won’t only be killing my dreams, but that of someone else too,” Mukhansi concluded.
