Nelson Makamo is a talented artist who depicts colorful portraits of children and teens he encounters around Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city and capital of Gauteng province. To create his art, the 38-year-old Makamo mixes various media, including charcoal, acrylic, watercolors, monotypes, silkscreen, and oil paint.
He explained in a statement that his portraits are inspired by the innocents of children. To create something so magical, the artist needs to look at the world through the lens of childhood. “Embody the peace and harmony we all strive for in life, the search for eternal joy lies in the child within us all. We are just so consumed with worldly things that we forget the simplicity of life through a child’s perspective,” he shared on his website.
Makamo’s work has been showcased in galleries all around the world, from his homeland to The Netherlands, UK, and Germany. Besides his exhibitions, he shares his portraits on his social media accounts, too. There he has attracted more than 168,000 Instagram followers
To see some of his creations, check out the gallery below, where we have picked our top favorites. Do not forget to follow his Instagram account to keep in touch with his newest work.
