Malema meets Time’s celebrated cover artist Nelson Makamo

Amid the buzz around South African visual artist Nelson Makamo, EFF leader Julius Malema visited the artist at his studio in Johannesburg on Monday to congratulate him and see the work that made the cover this week for himself.

Both he and Malema hail from Limpopo. They even took a photo with the original portrait and the magazine.

Nelson Makamo with Julius Malema. Picture: EFF/Twitter

CIC @Julius_S_Malema visited renowned artist @nelsonmakamo to personally congratulate & salute him on his historic achievement; the cover of @Time Magazine

Makamo is a national treasure we must all be proud of. He is a shining star & a testimony of indisputable black excellence. pic.twitter.com/WgsWFKTl4k

— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) February 11, 2019

Time did a special feature on talented emerging artists, with the 36-year-old Makamo’s work given the honour of gracing the cover of its Optimist issue. He is most well known for his charcoal portraits.

The issue was guest edited by Ava DuVernay, a filmmaker and fan of Makamo’s who bought some of his art works herself in 2017.

Nelson spent four months working on the piece that was featured on the cover, and entitled it Vision of a Limitless Future. He finds great optimism in the potential of children.

Time magazine’s cover featuring art by Nelson Makamo.

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

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