SPHIWE Langa recently opened an arts studio on Station Drive, Morningside. He has big plans for it, apart from it being his painting cave.

“Since I was in primary school, I have always loved drawing. Along the line, I shaded my gift and delved into civil engineering, and graduated from DUT. After a stint working as a property developer, I realised that I could no longer ignore painting. The magnetic pull landed me to where I am today,” he said.

Langa reckons this is the happiest he has ever been. Painting every day feels natural and fulfilling, he said.

At 30 years, he still draws his strength from his upbringing. His father was a cattle farmer, and one of the lessons he still carries is his father’s passion. Through this, he felt at ease following his own painting. It’s no coincidence that his paintings feature a cowhide background, as this signifies his heritage and culture.

Although he has done work using charcoal and prints, acrylic on canvas has become his permanent mode. “Paint is easily controlled,” he highlighted.

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Now armed with an Honours in Fine Arts and  the Bat Centre Artist In Residency programme, Langa believes learning more about the industry continues to shape his prospects. “It allows me to be able to read the arts industry and through that the arts have taken me to places I never thought I would be. I have met people and experienced arts spaces that have changed my life.”

To parents of creative children, he advises that, like his parents, they must invest and pay attention to their children’s gifts.
“Children respond well to support. Parents must create every means for them to grow and develop their talents.”
The greatest feeling, he enthuses, is having his paintings hung in galleries and homes, people marvelling at them and getting a warm feeling, he said.

He concluded, “I am enjoying most days of my career, and I am confident that I can make a living out of it until eternity. My current lifestyle presents freedom and means of survival. I see myself growing, extending my craft beyond the South African borders. As for this studio, I have ambitions of using it as a gallery as well, hosting art events and allowing artists to have their work seen and networking.”

He cautions emerging artists against doing art in half-measure. Instead he urged them to pour every ounce of time and passion into their work, and that would show in the final piece.

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