TSHIKUWI - Creative? Intelligent? Gifted? All these words fail to describe the talent of a young and aspirant self-taught artist, Tshifhiwa Nenzhelele (21) of Tshikuwi, near Makhado who has built his artistic, 10-roomed model house with cardboard boxes and matchsticks.

It only took two weeks to construct the amazing house with thousands of matchsticks and a few cardboard boxes, sticked together with wood glue and given a final touch of paint. The double-storey house is fitted with tiles made of matchboxes, and it also boasts a lighting system, which is powered by electricity.

All the windows, including the two sliding doors upstairs, are smartly fitted with glass and the upstairs veranda is decorated with black steel wires, while the smart roof is made of cardboard boxes and also decorated with black paint.

What is more interesting is that Nenzhelele only used his bare hands, an ordinary knife and a pair of scissors to make the amazing model.

“I never allowed the lack of professional machinery to have a negative impact on my talent. I enjoy working by hand and I have taught myself to use the available resources profitably. I did not take my art seriously until everyone was impressed by the house, which is the first artistic model I have constructed.”

Though Nenzhelele knows that he is a rare breed of talent, he believes in concentrating on his education first as today’s world needs artists who will be able to understand their contractual obligations in the tough industry of art.

He continued: “I am a first year B Com student at the University of Venda and I also completed a one-year Business English Certificate last year. I know I can do something good with my hands, but it is my education that I have to finish first, before venturing fully into the world of art. I am sending a very strong message to other aspirant young artists that they must first concentrate on their education so that they may be equipped with the necessary knowledge before they become full-time art-ists.”

Asked how much the house sells for, Nenzhelele quickly said: “This model is the apple of my eye and losing it will be a painful experience. I am not selling it at present, but if there is someone who desperately needs it, we can negotiate and reach a settlement…”

Nenzhelele said his wish was to construct a house which is three times bigger than the present one, but he was handicapped by a shortage of material, as he is still a student and cannot afford to buy everything he needs for his artistic job.

The aspirant artist has never displayed his art in major exhibitions and he needs someone to assist him in promotional activities.

“I need someone to assist me because I want everyone to know that there are rural folks like me who can make their communities proud. I also want my art to be exhibited even beyond the borders of South Africa.” In addition to the artistic house, Nenzhelele has also beautifully framed his A4 photo with matchsticks and cardboard boxes and said his exceptional frames sell from R30 – R40 in an attempt to raise funds for buying material.