Photos turn into portraits by his gifted hands
WHEN this artist picks up a pencil, amazing things start to happen on paper.

WHEN this artist picks up a pencil, amazing things start to happen on paper.
Sylvester Lephoi (27) of Lusaka village near Tzaneen is able to draw amazingly life-like portraits of people, cars and house.
Lephoi is well-known in the area and people bring him photographs that he turns into incredible sketches. CV speaks to him while he finishes a portrait of his sister, Modiegi Nyathi.
Lephoi says he loved art and design ever since he was a young boy in primary school. He is mostly self-taught and recently started selling his drawings to local art galleries for small amounts.
He says he tried to sell his art to the motor industry, but with no luck because these conglomerates buy art in large quantities.
Now he is ready to attract many customers from the local community. “I have done lots of portraits of celebrities including former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki as well as other top government officials,” he says.
Lephoi firmly believes that everyone is born with a talent and a person has to choose to develop that talent. “Once you find your special skill, you will be able to make a living out of it.”
Unfortunately, his talent has no market because many people don’t know about his work. He is trying to remedy this situation by turning his shack into an art gallery filled with his art work for people to admire.
