Elliot Sithole

Youth in Arts, Culture & Sport

Nominee's Province:
Gauteng

Age:
30

Project Name/Description:
Creative Mind Space

More info:
https://www.instagram.com/elliotsithole/

When Elliot Sithole grew up in Katlehong, east of Johannesburg, he was so quiet many considered him “different” and let him be. Yet he was simply a lad brimming with an artistic sensibility. “Being considered different made me focus on my art even more because I realised this was a gift from God. I got a lot of support from home,” Sithole says. Today, Sithole is a qualified graphic artist and animator, and he heads Creative Mind Space, a creative agency. He’s an artist on the rise and his art style conveys a range of emotions. Between April 29 and May 30 May this year, he held a successful solo exhibition at the Agog Gallery in Johannesburg titled Faces of You. Sithole teaches art part-time to youngsters (Monday to Thursday) in Meadowlands, Soweto. “It’s an outreach programme for those who can’t afford to pay fees and for those who love to learn the basics of art. I also teach art to preschool kids.” Sithole lists Nelson Makamo, William Kentridge and Charles Nkosi as among many artists he looks up to. His message to other young people wishing to follow their artistic dreams: “Embrace your God-given talent and never sleep on it. The world depends on your creativity.”