Kanyange, a teenager with a passion for graphic arts and paint design

Her love for drawing began as a toddler in Kindergarten. Her talent matured throughout her primary school, as she could, through drawing, reproduce animated cartoons such as Mickey Mouse, an animated mouse, created by American animator Walt Disney and other cartoons. “I grew up loving that kind of art. From first year of primary school to its completion, I loved drawing a lot that I spent much of my time drawing,” Louise Kanyange told Sunday Times. In 2017 Advanced Level, she emerged best candidate in graphic arts countrywide, with a score of 56 out of 60 for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) exams According to the Ministry of Education’s Workforce Development Authority (WDA), the minimum required score for a candidate to get a (pass) certificate was 9. Her secret to excellence Kanyange was born in Nyarugenge District, but her family relocated to Musanze about a year ago. She decided to study arts having been passionate about it right from her early childhood. She is deeply interested in painting. She studied at Nyundo School of Arts, that has since moved from Rubavu District to former Kavumu College of Education in Muhanga District. It was after succeeding in lower secondary school national examinations, that she was sent to study arts at Ecole d’Arts de Nyundo. “I loved it. I felt I could not study any other course,” she said. The 19-year-old reveals that being focused, having firm determination as well as loving what she studied were some of the factors that enabled her to perform well. “First, I loved what I had chosen to study. Second, I did as much practical work as possible. Once I got an opportunity to access internet instead of watching movies, or songs, I preferred searching for information relevant to my area of study to better understand the subject,” she observed. The Director of Nyundo School of Art, Sébastien Nizeyimana, told Sunday Times that Kanyange’s performance was not a surprise. “She used to do practical work, and follow well in class. She had a firm determination, and vision and stuck to it,” he said. Getting considerable skills While she has been getting some orders to produce pictures and other paintings, and working with Inshuti Arts and Cultural Centre based in Musanze District, in order to gain more hands-on skills, she revealed that her aim was to master art and become competitive in the labour market. “I make paintings which are sought after by hotels,” she said citing an image she painted and sold at Rwf50,000 while she invested about Rwf10,000. “My vision is to engage perfectly in arts so that I master it, and practice it professionally,” she said. Contrary to the past when taking TVET courses were almost a preserve for boys due to traditional stereotypes created in the society, more girls have since been enrolling in TVET. Statistics from the Ministry of Education indicate that out of 93,158 students in 2016, 38,959 were female. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Kanyange, a teenager with a passion for graphic arts and paint design