Joseph Chirume
Two years ago he was a leading goal scorer at his school and had set his sights on becoming a professional soccer player. But his life changed when he missed a penalty.
The 17-year-old learner at Douglas Mbopa High School, in Motherwell, could not forget the turn of events that followed after missing an important penalty in a school soccer tournament against bitter rivals Masiphathisane Secondary School.
Fans were angry and his teammates even wanted to beat him.
“I felt as if I had betrayed my school, my teammates and my community because that missed penalty robbed my team of victory,” said grade 10 learner Asandise Methula.
His friends Sibabalwe Vandala and Buntu Azania rescued him from the disgrace by encouraging him to quit football and join them in producing artworks. The two friends also took him to various artists in Gqeberha, where he honed his skills.
“This is how I became an artist. I was amazed by the Hand in Hand Art Gallery formed by two brothers, Sakumzi and Msindisi Nyendwana. I was inspired by them and their artwork. I instantly decided to follow in their footsteps and forgot about playing soccer,” said Methula.
His art raises awareness about gender-based violence, child abuse and public violence. His current work, Uncontrolled Depression, focuses on the recent violent riots in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Methula paints with coffee collected from his family’s kitchen. He mixes it with watercolour paints and draws using his school pens as brushes.
“I’m using coffee as my paint, since I cannot afford paints and brushes,” he added. ‘That’s what pushes me most, so I can somehow change the situation at home. I hope that one of my works will sell one day and I will get money to buy paint.”
Methula explained that people should control their anger and desist from getting violent.
“My artwork discourages people from embarking on violent destruction of property as this takes away jobs from our communities.” he said
Methula has already participated in several projects, including the “Life in the time of Covid-19 pandemic” hosted by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Museum, and the “Did you get it exhibition” at the ArtEC. He has also exhibited some of his drawings at the Port Elizabeth Athenaeum.
