Clive does not colour between the lines
Upcoming artist dreams of being the change the world needs by illustrating hard themes in his artwork.
Aspiring artist Clive Khutso Modirwa (27) is looking forward to refining his art skills as he embarks on a journey to showcase his talents.
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Art is in Clive’s blood, and his cousins, in particular, are exceptionally artistic. He added that he would always admire their artistic capabilities.
“It was only later that I discovered art is a passion I cannot avoid. I always used to draw on the back of my test paper during exams. During my Grade Eight year, I met friends who also had an interest in art. That is when my art journey began,” he explained.
After matriculating, Clive studied in a different direction, but during the lectures, people would tell him to sign up for art school. In 2020, after finishing his courses, he finally decided to focus on his talents.
I remember one day I was watching a documentary about a young woman who had already sold her paintings for $200 000 [R3,8m]. From that day, I was influenced to start my artistic career,” he expressed.
Other influences in his career include Jono Dry Art for his realistic drawings and the classics such as Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. He has since participated in various art exhibitions.
“My style has improved, developed and changed over time. I started with pencils and ballpoint pens before exploring other mediums such as paints. I knew practical mediums would become outdated, so I wanted to create a completely new style.”
Consequently, Clive’s style became abstract while he tackled hard social ills like gender-based violence and child abuse. He likes using mixed mediums and currently enjoys painting on transparent canvases.
“There is no perfect work, only developing and implementing. It is through those times when I felt demotivated that I discovered the secret to making art special. My general approach is, don’t be comfortable because you’ve mastered a style or medium – be uncomfortable so that you still need to learn and bring more life to your artwork.
“I want to uplift the youth through my work because I realised most of the social issues occur because children who are hurt search for the wrong things to fulfil themselves.
My background also plays a huge role in my work. My mother inspires me to create and make change happen in this world,” he concluded.
