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Valerie Mpundu

TALENTED graphic designer, Quentine Nyoni, has challenged stakeholders to embrace the significance of images in conveying messages.

Graphic designing is the art and practice of creating visual communications and solutions through various media such as words, images, and illustrations to convey messages and aesthetic experiences.

In an interview, Nyoni highlighted the need for more ground to be covered in terms of uncovering and exposing visual arts.

“Appreciation of visual art is still in its inception. We still need people to understand the important role it plays in society.

“It is a basis of communication appealing to all ages, races and languages.

“The more people appreciate visual arts as a whole, the easier it is to inform our society and communicate across platforms,” he said.

Having been in the creative industry for eight years, Nyoni got his breakthrough in 2017 after being recognised by the African Union, and his work was unveiled in front of 55 African Heads of State in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“Apart from that, I have curated visuals for the National Arts Merit Awards for five years. I was first runner-up at the Fakugesi Festival in South Africa.

“I am an all-rounder creative and my work encapsulates visual arts, podcasting, and presenting. I started as a club poster graphic designer in Gwanda back in 2016,” he recalled.

Nyoni has managed to partner with and establish platforms that emphasise visual arts such as Urban Militant Creative Studio and Natural Hair Festival.

“We have exhibited artworks and informed people further on the importance of the visual art sector as a business and way of expression,” he said.

The artist said he has managed to earn a decent living by creating sustainable networks and establishing business partnerships through graphic designing and visual arts.

“Zimbabwe is a hub of creative arts and we are more than capable of participating on global stages. However, the hurdle is the ever-growing techno world.

“Most of our talented creatives cannot afford to keep up with updates of ever-changing software like Adobe Illustrator, gadgets, and accessories that make us competitive on the global stage.

“Be that as relentless as we are, we thrive, for it takes us to build our nation,” he stressed.

Currently, Nyoni is being mentored as a cinematographer under Obscura Films.

He has worked with Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation and NAMA, among other renowned media organisations.

“I am fortunate for the support that goes beyond my family. Some corporates and individuals have immensely contributed to my career,” he said.