Parents have the power to support or discourage children’s capacities, the lucky ones have been given a push and are on the path to building their careers. Others are pursuing career paths that are not of their choice, but their parents’, according to visual artist Jean Luc Usabwimana. The 23-year-old recalls loving art which his parents supported him from day one, they encouraged him to watch art TV shows, a thing that enhanced his passion for drawing. He believes that if he didn’t have the support from his parents, perhaps, he wouldn’t be living his dream. “I started drawing as early as grade three, and with time, I offered a helping hand to my friends who were struggling with drawing, surprisingly, my teachers discovered that I was talented and requested that I draw on the blackboard during lessons that required drawing diagrams,” he says. A portrait of an African woman’s beauty in contemporary art by Usabwimana. Usabwimana notes that his parents made effort and connected him to renowned local artist Bernard Birasa, who offered him the necessary basics in art, however, he had to prove to his parents that he would juggle school and drawing, a thing he did. He credits his parents who provided him with painting materials like watercolours, brushes, coloured pencils, among others, once they noticed his desire for drawing. On completing high school, he painted things that crossed his mind, by using his intuition and experimenting with different methods along the way to interpret what he thought and saw. “I wasn’t afraid of failure. I learned from my mistakes and viewed failure as the ultimate teacher; I also tried to maintain a positive mind-set even when I didn’t like my work. In order to be better, I carried out research via books, watching YouTube videos and working with other professional artists to get constructive criticism. I can’t emphasise practice enough! Even now, I am still learning,” he says. The painter says that the beauty of being an artist is having the inspiration to create something new that has never been seen before. He says that he isn’t afraid to take risks and eagerly waits for positive results. The senior six graduate has developed an art studio at his parents’ home in Nyamirambo. He anticipates combining visual art and interior architecture design in a professional way and hopes to pursue a course in both. He looks up to UK painter Graham Berry, who and Rwandan self-taught contemporary artist, Strong Karakire for their exceptional talent. Earning from art Usabwimana says that the strategies he has observed to earn from art is displaying artwork in multiple venues and participating in outdoor art festivals and exhibitions. He adds that a successful artist understands that in order to sell art pieces, they have to receive massive exposure to a certain extent—art exhibitions are an opportunity not only to display and sell artwork, but to also build your contact list and develop salesmanship skills. The artist adds that galleries give more opportunities that self-promoting don’t. Use of social media platforms also helps the artists to share their work and broaden their network by using hashtags to improve sales. Challenges “I don’t have the capacity to create everything perfectly all the time. But also, keeping up with the talent is tricky, it never vanishes or fades away, but requires continuous practice, and creating something new without limits,” he says. The painter says that comparison is another challenge that most artists struggle with, instead of crafting something inventive and unique. He adds that purchasing professional art material locally is expensive, yet high quality products are imported and may incur delays. The youngster highlights that there is still a lack of art market because the people who understand and buy art, especially locally, are still few compared to the number of artists. Regarding future plans, Usabwimana looks forward to constructing extraordinary homes with artistic interior design while combining visual art and interior architectural design, that way, he believes to make more money.
