Never give up on dream, says ceramicist

FROM rural Inchanga near Hammarsdale, Frank Nthunya has never given up on his dream of becoming an artist.

Nthunya, 35, is now a ceramic artist who sells his wares at the Hillcrest Aids Centre.

He fell in love with art at a young age. Even though his late father, Wallace, worked in engineering, he encouraged his son to take up art, which he also loved.

It was with this support that Nthunya enrolled in a ceramics course at the Kathu College in the Northern Cape.

He chose to study far away after his father died, and he had to live with an uncle who was a soldier based in the area.

It was not to be, though, as he had to drop out because he couldn’t afford the fees.

“Making ceramics for a living has not been easy, even though I’ve been in this business for five years,” says Nthunga.

His works range in price from R100 to R10 000, but he is prepared to negotiate reasonable terms with customers.

Shows

His art is on display at venues across the country – among the Corobrik collection at the Pretoria Art Museum and at the Iziko museums in Cape Town.

“In 2014, I won two awards for my work. This year I have been nominated to be part of an art exhibition at the University of Johannesburg.”

Nthunya believes that the best time of the year for his business is now: the festive season, when tourists flock to buy his pottery for gifts.

He works alone for now, but he is looking to expand his business eventually.

“I also want to expand my knowledge and teach children in my community who are interested in art,” he said. His three tips for budding entrepreneurs are: 1 Do what makes you happy. 2 Have passion for what you do. 3 Be patient. You can’t achieve success overnight.