Durban’s Humza Sheik Mohammed made an artistic splash in a recent art competition and bagged victory.
“When my name was called out at our school assembly, I was shocked as I didn’t expect to win because there were so many entrants,” said Humza.
The 12-year-old, who attends Northlands Primary School, shared his delight with his win in the Panda Paints art competition, which earned him R2 000 in cash.
He said he wanted to paint something different, fun and eye-catching. “This artwork is mainly targeting young people to get the message across regarding ocean conservation,” he added.
Humza said he started doodling about five years ago and quickly found it fun and a way to express himself.
The young artist also loves to play football and go fishing with his dad.
Humza’s mother Aziza Mohammed said she was delighted and couldn’t stop smiling.
“Humza has always been above average when it came to his artwork. From the age of 7, he has been taking great pride in his art. He loves drawing characters and doodling, which he thinks up in his head. During lockdown, we had a lot of spare time which resulted in Humza drawing. I was blown away by his artwork, so I started an Instagram page for others to enjoy his work.”
Mohammed describes her son as a fun-loving, happy and carefree person and those characteristics are expressed in his work.
Senior primary art teacher Deborah Holshausen said she was not surprised that Humza’s work emerged among the top entries, but was happily shocked when he won. She said she had noticed Humza’s ability three years ago, long before she began teaching him.
“Humza was initially selected as one of 14 representatives from the school because they had potential. He would decorate the classroom doors with chalk art, and he was given free rein in the teachers’ classrooms because he is that talented,” she added.
Panda Paints owner Debbie Morgan said the bags were made out of recycled plastic bottles as part of Woolworths sustainability goals and the bag needed to be reusable.
“They had to use a bag from this specific retail store.”
The Independent on Saturday