Kamogelo Mokwena (17) from Tzaneen in Bokgaga is disabled. He does not have use of his legs or arms, which is why he at first wasn’t sure how to translate his images to paper.
One day in 2019, he picked up a pencil with his mouth and started sketching the image in his head. To his surprise, it didn’t turn out too badly.
Since then, he’s been working on honing his craft and his artwork even went viral after his friend, a fellow artist Lucas Mapheto (21), shared his drawings on social media.
While sitting at home in Limpopo, Tzaneen, Kamogelo kept getting these images in his mind, the teen tells Drum.
So he created a portrait using a pencil and his mouth.
“I just draw an ordinary someone. That day when I drew the picture I felt like I wanted to succeed in life and be like any other human being, I wanted to fit in, and also do things that I want.”
The 17-year-old says he lives with his mother who ensures that he gets the support that he needs with his art.
“Every month end when she goes shopping, she usually asks me what I want for my drawings. Then I’ll tell her that I need additional papers, or pencils etc.”
He says his mother has tried everything in her power try to get him into an art school – with no success.
“She went to social workers and we would travel long distances after every recommendation without winning.”
His wish is to find a school that will help him hone his talent. He tells us that in the meantime he works on commission. “So when someone requests a drawing, I do it and then they would pay.
“I usually use the money to buy any material I might be short of during the course of the month.”
Kamogelo went viral after a chance encounter on social media platform Facebook with Lucas.
Lucas tells Drum he shared his friend’s art because he was hoping Good Samaritans might help him get into an art school. “Drawing is what we have in common, so when I reached out to him last month, he needed help with shading his drawing.
“To my surprise when I checked, he was a disabled person. I asked him how he draws such beautiful pictures because he told me that his hands aren’t working. He replied with a video of him drawing and pictures,” Lucas says.
He says their friendship started after he received a DM from Kamogelo asking for drawing tips. He saw drawings of a woman on his profile.
“I do not know if it was a drawing of his mother or what, but I was so inspired by his beautiful artwork whereas he hands aren’t working.
It was my first time seeing somebody drawing a picture with their mouth, and he asked for some points on what kind of material for drawing can I recommend for him, and what else can he do to improve on his drawing,” Lucas says.
One of Kamogelo’s drawings.
Kamogelo picks up the story. “I’d sent him a friend request, and he also draws so when he saw pictures of my drawings on my timeline he asked if I was the one who drew them, I said ‘yes’, he asked ‘what do you use to draw’, I said I use my mouth and then he asked for my pictures.
“He said that he was surprised because he has never saw someone who uses their mouth to draw.” A friendship based on art was born.
Lucas is known as a rising star in art in his village, Ga-Mamambolo in Limpopo. He’s taking some time out to decide what to do with his future, he says, but in the meantime he does help other artists.
He says when Kamogelo’s art went viral on Facebook, it was beautiful.
“I thought maybe he was going to get help because he told me that he never went to school. But the response was amazing because others were encouraging him to continue with his work.
“My biggest wish is for him to get school where at least he can do something with his talent, that’s our wish.”
