What happens when you possess God given creativity but have no proper means of financial support to showcase your abilities? The answer, you do everything you can to make things work!
This was exactly the reality for 24-year-old artist Ricollin Moodley, a KwaZulu-Natal native who has been astonishing the online community with incredible portraits of some of South Africa’s biggest rugby stars, using lipstick.
BONA was recently privileged enough to get a first glance into how exactly this journey in the art space has come to fruition. Like so many of this country’s most powerful people, the journey started from humble beginnings.
Self-Taught
“I started drawing in 2017 at the beach in Port Edward. I was in grade 11 at that time, and we didn’t have food. I was trying to find a way to use my hands to bring food to the table,” he explained.
The 24-year-old further mentioned that he had no prior knowledge about art, nor did he attend an art school, but that everything he knew came from life experiences.
“My first artwork that was done in 2017 was a portrait, so I trained myself to master portraiture.”
Experimenting with lipstick
After spending six years perfecting his talents, reality struck yet again. No money, no resources, and no proper art supplies to keep him afloat. This was when Ricollin found himself turning to an alternative solution to ensure that his gift of creating art did not lie dormant.
“I started painting with lipstick in 2023 when I couldn’t afford art supplies and I found a box of discarded makeup, so I tried painting with them – eyeshadow, eyeliner, foundation, cutex and lipstick.
“I fell in love with the lipstick texture and that’s what led me to explore this medium. I eventually also created my own formula (secret) sealant that seals the lipstick paintings to prevent it from fading and melting.”
Since then, he has never looked back. His artwork has allowed him to gain the attention from some of the biggest stars and well as corporate companies all of whom were amazed to see just how much he could do with these often-overlooked cosmetics.
“Lipstick painting has shaped me in a way that puts me out of the box and allows me to stand out in a crowd full of normality. It creates conversations and sets me aside from being called a traditional artist,” he explained.
Despite spending nearly a decade creating these beautiful portraits, he shares that the thing that brought him instant success online was his behind the scenes video showing the process of creating a Siya Kolisi portrait.
Like many South Africans Ricollin is a big Springbok fan. Their victories at the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup have had a major impact on his outlook on life and inspired his own journey.
“The Springboks represent our country and give a lot of South Africans hope to face any obstacle head on. So, I found a lot inspiration in the team.”
Following this he has first had the to rub shoulders with the global icon and watch him play live.
“It was unbelievable. It was the first time in my life that I met someone that famous and inspirational. It was the first time I attended a rugby game and it led me to get the opportunity to meet some of the other Springboks and get some of my artworks signed by them.”
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While his work continues to gain the approval of many, his hopes for the future are to continue inspiring others through art and encourage others to keep pushing despite financial challenges.
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