A teen artist known for having mastered an unassuming canvas (tissue paper) is blowing South Africa away one portrait at a time.
Johannesburg, South Africa (03 December 2023) — Artists Siphesihle Brian Hlatshwayo knows a thing or two about working with what you’ve got and making the best (and beautiful) from it. From mastering using tissue paper as his canvas to earning praise from South African legends like Black Coffee, he’s come a long way with a skill that’s blowing South Africa away.
A teenager from Daveyton township, Siphesihle was artistically inclined from a young age. Despite limited resources in the family (including being able to afford drawing paper), he made do with the tissue paper his grandmother offered him—birthing the beginning of a talent to watch.
As time went on, he’d developed a true knack for tissue paper work. As anyone whose ever attempted to sketch on a fragile surface knows, this is not something you achieve without immense care and focus. Beyond being able to master the thin canvas, he also honed an attention to detail driven by exquisite focus that is evident in many of the portraits he’s been celebrated for.
Of course, he uses other canvases now, especially thanks to resources at school. Currently a learner at the East Rand School of the Arts, he’s become known for viral pieces honouring local legends, including Black Coffee’s paper towel debut, Riky Rick and a sketch of Siya Kolisi that made headlines, as well as Miss Albany on tissue paper.
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For the artist, this talent and years of hard work now serve as an opportunity for him to expand his creative horizons, and inspire others to embark on theirs.
According to the Benoni City Times, he draws inspiration from stars like Kolisi. Despite rugby and art not having all that much in common, for Siphesihle, Kolisi is a hero who taught him that “our backgrounds should not hinder our aspirations and dreams.”
He hopes to study fine art, and with enough support for his work, his skills will hopefully pay the way onward and upward.
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