My name is Qondja Elias Salatiel, a 25 years old self-taught artist specialised in realistic pencil drawing. I hold a Bachelor of Criminal justice from Namibia University of Science and Technology (2016-2018). I started to draw at the age of 9, sketching comics of Shake Shikongo and soccer player sketches. I started to draw real people in 2013 and it was not easy as my drawing skills were not perfect. In 2015 I perfected my art and I started to draw Namibian celebrities like Gazza, King Tee Dee, Mathew Dillish, Maria Nepembe, Luis Munana and others. I got a name in art industry and a lot of people know me. I also promote local rappers through my artworks. Artists such as Jyz Yorke and others.
Who made you realize that you have a calling for Drawing?
I was inspired by this American girl called Heather Rooney, by the time I was still amateur, I used to watch her drawing videos on YouTube. Her videos opened my mind that I can also do it if I get serious.
What inspires you when you draw a Celebrity / Artist?
It's quite good to draw a famous person, more especially the artists, once I uploaded a portrait of a certain celeb, it drives a lot of traffic into my account and it also allows me to interact with the fans of these celebs. So, this inspires me that I can do more and have a name in the industry as many people get to know me.
You Draw such amazing realistic sketches… Do any of these artists get blown away when they see these Drawings?
Yes... most artists never believe that I drew their portraits with my hand because their pictures are too realistic, they thought maybe I do digital drawing or I used an app to sketch, they only believe when they saw their portrait live, especially Gazza and Jyz Yorke.
What are Your Future plans with Drawing?
I want to be one of the greatest visual artists ever in the country, I want to have a studio where I can sell my artworks and teach upcoming artists.
What is the good and the worst thing about Drawing according to your experiences?
The good thing about drawing is that you don't really need capital to start drawing or became an artist, you make quick money and u spend less in materials so there is money in art. The worst thing about drawing is that sometime people may force you to draw pictures of them that are not clear for you as an artist, so when you sketch that picture it will not come out good and the client will be reluctant to pay. When it comes to payments, customers sometimes give excuses and avoid paying whether you drew their pictures perfectly, some of them say "This picture doesn't look like me" but they insist to take pictures with them at lower price, that's how we are betrayed by clients and make loss.
Besides Drawing, what else can Qondja Do?
I don’t only specialise in pencil drawing, I can do painting (especially landscape) in big sizes, I can also draw tattoos and I'm currently learning Corel drawing on my own.
How is the response from family and friends towards your drawings?
My family always got my back, helping me where they can and encouraging me to continue, my drawings no-longer surprise them anymore because they know that I’m capable of doing anything crazy in art. Some of my friends don't believe if a human being perfects his art to that extend, some say I'm better than a camera, some assumed and concluded that maybe I have joined a secret society which helps me spiritually to do all that magic in art, so people have different reactions to my arts.
Which One Drawing would You say it is Your Best and Why?
The portrait of Gazza is the best ever I believe, because it went viral on media and got up to more than 200 shares.
Price-List / Quotations:
Different sizes - different prices;
A3 Paper Size =500
A2 = 1300
A1 = 2000
Prices including frames and deposit is required before booking.
My contact details:
Instagram - @qondja_arts_official.
Facebook - Qondja Elias salatiel
Twitter - @QondjaE
WhatsApp – 0817120809
Shout Outs
I want to send my shouts out to people who believe in my art, to people who support me every time, my family out there, thanks for helping me in my journey to become a better artist today, you people are amazing.
