Here comes Kind Art
By Sam Banda Jnr:
It is not easy to excel in the creative industry where the demand for quality and the best is always the name of the game.
You may have the talent but if you do not value it and at the same time strive to give people the best then you find the space hard to grow and achieve the results.
Again they say a journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, there are people who have the talent but they do not have the courage to come out and show that talent that God gave them.
Others are afraid to make mistakes and always think that once they make a mistake then the world will crumble for them.
But nay, mistakes are part of life, mistakes give us room to improve and bring out the best.
The best musicians, writers, filmmakers, actors, actresses, photographers, visual artists and all other artistic disciplines have made mistakes but mistakes have made them grow to where they are now.
Bringing out the A game in your trade also means being passionate about what you do. If you love music then do it to your best and love what you do.
You cannot for instance make someone love your music or love your performances if you do not love what you are doing. First love what you do and then you can be able to conquer other people’s hearts.
Art is fun and for some artists, the live art and love what they do to the fullest without any additions and subtractions.
Francis Kapanda is one artist who has grown to love art and he is still walking the miles and hopeful that he will get to hid destination.
Although art is not given the necessary support in the country and plays second fiddle to a lot of disciplines, Kapanda believes things are slowly changing.
Describing himself as an animator and artist he is living art with his works trading as Kind Art. For him this is surely his kind of art which is unique and has nothing but his identity.
Kapanda said he is still improving his work and always learning from others with the hope of striking the best chord.
For a guitarist to play the guitar to his best then he needs to drink from the well of the veterans and at the same time keep improving by practicing.
Today artists fail to improve because they do not practice let alone learn from those that have been there and done it.
Again in this technological world things keep on changing and so artists have to be on their toes to look out for new information so as to be at par with others.
Kapanda said he has been getting encouragement from people such as renowned South Africa-based actor Eugene Khumbanyiwa.
“He has helped me not to give up on my art. He is someone who has always admired my works and that has had me doing my best,” Kapanda said.
He said the journey has been long and that he started drawing when he was very young but is quick to say that they were just doodles.
But Kapanda said as he grew up he was fascinated by animations and cartoon characters such that he sometimes tried to draw his favourite characters.
And it was just a matter of time that he created his own.
“After a while I found that I would formulate stories from start to finish with just a thought on it. Then about a year ago I had an idea.
“I had just drawn a character so I was like what if he moved, talked or blinked” -then I decided to try out animation,” he said.
While others have had to go to school to learn more about animation, Kapanda said he taught himself.
“Today I can rightly say that I am an animator and fulltime into it. I am a 2D animator or sometimes called a traditional animator,” the artist says.
He said now his specialty is always moving.
For now, Kapanda said he is an animator, character designer, an illustrator, digital and traditional painter, a story writer and script writer, comic artist, story boarding artist and also because he makes animations he is a video and animations director.
Moving with Kind Art, Kapanda said:
“I call myself Kind Art because of every sense of the word ‘kind’- every meaning of the word defines my art”.
He may not have enough to point out now in terms of success stories since he started the trade but he reveals that he made a short animation comedy series called That Moment.
He also added that he made a music animation video, and some very short animation clips citing Zione which talks about an abused girl.
“At the moment I am making an animation called Padangokhala which speaks volumes of social challenges. Apart from showcasing skills, this is also a platform for discussing different challenges facing the country,” he said.
Kapanda said the challenges for him so far include getting clients to know what animation is and how it can be used to carry strong messages that change people’s lives.
For him it is not only about seeing the cartoons but using these cartoons to tackle issues such as child marriages.
Currently based in Lilongwe, Kapanda hails from Mangochi District.
The artist, who did his primary and secondary at Newlands and Phwezi Boys before his tertiary Shareworld University has gone further to set up a studio at Area 47.
“I do animations and the art but I have friends who have been helping me with voice acting and sometimes as second opinions after a story has been written,” he said.
He is all praise of his brother who he said has been pushing him as well as advising him.
“My brother even got me equipment to make things easier for me,”Kapanda said.
Kapanda holds a Bachelors degree in Mass Communication.
So far Kapanda has worked with people with their personal projects and has also had time to do his own works.
He challenges organisations to come out and work with him in their different projects.
“It is hard to get funding but all the same there is progress and I am trying my best to get noticed but also build up my face.
“I haven’t worked with organisations for now because it is hard to attract them but I am not losing my sleep for I know it’s just a matter of time,” Kapanda said.
For his work to run perfectly well, the artist uses paper, pencils, erasers and rulers when doing the traditional art and work like character designing or sketching.
“I use my personal computer and digital tablet for the more digital stuff and softwares like Photoshop to make digital paintings or artworks and book covers,” Kapanda said.
For now Kind Art is not yet on top but according to Kapanda, you can rest be assured that they will be there on time.
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