Meet Nkino the artist
His passion for drawing started 23 years ago. When he was in grade 4 he made his first comic book, inspired by Jackie Chan movies.
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Cartoonist, comics’ illustrator and graphic designer from the South, Sanele ‘Nkino’ Mpinga (28), is determined to revive the morals of the youth through art.
Nkino studied Art and Design at Central Johannesburg College and he has already completed a 14-page comic book as well as a 124-page isiZulu novel; Ithemba Lamathemba Ami.
“My comic book is in both English and Zulu. I wanted to introduce a superhero in my language (isiZulu), because I have not met one. And my novel is based on survival, faith and going back to basics,” he said.
Through trials and tribulations, Nkino has taught himself lots of survival skills and wants to impart to his community. “We all know that unemployment is high among us, and idling in the township is not the option. Though I’m unemployed, I tried to better myself in every respect. I’m self-taught in InDesign, Photoshop and Video Editing. Both my work (comic book and novel) do not have a publisher, however I do not despair. I am knocking on every door for assistance,” Nkino explained.
His passion for drawing started 23 years ago. When he was in grade 4 he made his first comic book, inspired by Jackie Chan movies.
“From there I started designing logos, portraits, illustrated my own story comic books, developed my own characters, layouts and cartoons,” he noted.
Some of the people Nkino worked with include Simon Webber of Azani Comic Book as artist, Ksasa Lethu Youth Projects teaching children arts, and he volunteered at BUA Soweto newspaper as cartoonist and at Mzweleni Film Production as graphic designer.
Sanele ‘Nkino’ Mpinga is originally from Bergville and reminisced about some of his achievements back then. “While at school I came second in a competition where we were asked to design uThukela Municipal logo. I won a gold medal for my school, Mosses Maren Mission Technical School, in the art competition, and I also won the MTN Art School New Comer Award.
“I want to be actively involved in the creative industry through my talent, and also to impart my knowledge in order to leave a lasting legacy. Also, I want to be one of the top graphic designera, an illustrator, film maker, story teller, musician an activist in the creative industry beyond South Africa,” said Nkino.
