Wathu Art

I am Nursing Officer working at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Pediatric Special Care Ward. Born on 24 July, 1998 in Blantyre where I grew up. I have always been a lover of art ever since I knew how to hold a pencil. As I child, I would fill up every blank page with drawings. Throughout primary my friends knew me as the art kid. I’d spend the free time at school and home drawing. Drawings would always come through easy for me. As I went to secondary school, I sort of tried to hide it but it would still show through my little doodles at the corners of my notebooks. One time my biology teacher needed someone to do the drawings for our class and everyone pointed me out. That was a huge “art” milestone in my life. That was the first time my art was put on display for people to see.

Fast forward to college (Kamuzu College of Nursing), I sort of stopped drawing because I did not want to be seen as childish but I still wanted to, so I went online and found some drawing apps, Sony Sketch and Autodesk Sketchbook. Googled some tutorials on how to use them and then began to draw again on my phone because I did not want people to see. But a couple of my close friends told me it was good and so I posted the drawings every once in a while and got some positive feedback.

In 2019, after college was when I tried doing some semi-realistic artwork and started getting a lot of requests from people to turn their pictures to art. That was how Wathu Art came to life. I have learnt from watching other artists on Instagram and YouTube. I was inspired by Bennie Buatsie a Ghanaian female digital artist. I loved how she proudly represented Africa through her drawings of black women. It brings me joy to be able to share with people what I love to do every single time I finish a commission.

Art is a part of me and wouldn’t have asked God for a better gift than this. I never thought my work would get this much recognition.

I use the drawing apps Autodesk Sketchbook and IbisPaintX. Most of my work is digital, but now I also get the artwork printed and framed in various sizes. I currently work through my phone so people send me their requests through WhatsApp and Instagram.