BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
MANZINI – While adults move between business stalls and exhibitions at the Eswatini International Trade Fair, artist Mncobi Mndzebele has been giving some of the youngest visitors a reason to stop, sit and get creative.
The fine artist has been making his mark at EITF through children’s face painting, turning little faces into colourful works of art as the Trade Fair continues.
For the children, the experience is more than simply having paint put on their faces. It has become part of the fun of visiting the Trade Fair, with youngsters choosing designs and watching themselves transform in the hands of the artist.
Mndzebele’s presence also highlights the different ways visual artists can engage with audiences beyond traditional exhibitions. Instead of keeping his work on a canvas, he is taking his creativity directly to people and creating an experience that children can carry with them around the fairgrounds.
The face-painting corner has become one of those lighter moments at EITF, where children can take a break from walking around the busy exhibition spaces and leave with something colourful and usually a big smile.
For Mndzebele, the activity brings together his skills as a fine artist with the spontaneity of working with young visitors, where every new face presents another opportunity to create something different.
As EITF continues, his colourful contribution is a reminder that the Trade Fair is not only about business and exhibitions. Sometimes, a little paint and imagination are enough to make a child’s day.
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