Inspired by Passion/ Shennice Ericah
Tags: Shennice Ericah, Artist, Harare, Illustrator, Zimbabwe

by.shen/Instagram

The 20 year old visual artist, based in Harare, has been about the art life since ‘crayon colour inside the line’ days, in kindergarten. Her supportive family saw her preternatural gift in the arts back during preschool and granted her a license to draw and paint as much as she wanted, which should have been a lot for a pre-schooler. Wherever words failed her, she developed a system of using drawings to communicate and convey her vision to her family at an early age. Having honed her skill early on, she was a standout artist since primary through high school, with her proudest moment being the 2013 Special Mention certificate and hamper she was awarded by Toyota for her work being used in an advert of theirs. The defining moment though was the Higherlife Foundation art project in 2017 that saw her being part of the final ten artists who won prize money and art supplies.

“That’s when I realized I’m capable of doing so much and I can go far with my art. I made friends there and one of them talked me into making art not only my passion but my job and earn money whilst I do what I love. I went for it and I’ve never regretted it.”

The journey into the creative wasteland that is Zimbabwe may have been without regret but it has been one with challenges for Shen. Art supplies are quite expensive, whilst making a name for herself hasn’t been the smoothest trip and finding a lucrative market for her work has been hit and miss. Visual artists of her nature are rarely acknowledged by the mainstream, as she’ll tell you, “they don’t see its full potential, they don’t really pay mind to it, the kind of mind it deserves.” She holds out hope for a creative oasis though, believing that the creative space has much room for growth and establishment through collaboration. The first hurdle to be overcome however are the artists themselves as she points out that, “…the problem is people wait for someone else to make the first move. The creatives are there, super talented individuals but together we could be an unstoppable force.”

by.shen/Instagram

A new wave surges over the landscape, with creatives enjoying a rise in prospects due to the globalization effect, the social media network effect and corporates outsourcing re-branding projects. The gig economy is in the hands of freelancing creatives who have carved out successful niche career paths as designers of websites, graphics, fashion and many other design fields. Shennice believes that the traditional jobs of doctor, lawyer, pilot and any such that had been tagged as the ‘successful’ career paths have been inverted and urges parents to encourage their kids to chase dreams in any field so long the determination is there.

“I mess up so many pieces but that’s a learning curve. Every artist is different. Don’t try to be like the next artist, be yourself. Art is a way of expressing yourself to the outside world without uttering a sound.”

Shen is an artist with her brush on many canvasses with her range encompassing; murals, canvas pieces, clothing customization and graphic design as well recently learning 3D animation. She implores young artists to work hard, keep their heads up as well as to never to give up. Her long term plans include becoming a full time artist which is a current endeavour, whilst owning her art gallery and studio which will function as a creative hub where she’ll teach art.