He is also the youngest winner in the biennial competitions hosted by Rust-en-Vrede. Malik received his award at the ceremony on 29 August – a complete surprise to him – and his joy since that moment has known no bounds.

The 27-year-old artist entered a hyperrealistic pencil drawing portrait of a male face breaking through a cracked surface resembling peeling paint. Donovan Mynhardt, curator at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, told the media that Malik’s win is a testament to how portraiture talent is flourishing in every corner of South Africa.

Rust-en-Vrede, established by Simon van der Stel in 1694 and housed in a beautifully preserved 1850s heritage building in Durbanville, has been a cornerstone of South African art since 1984. 

The Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery and Clay Museum in Durbanville. Photo supplied

With three dynamic exhibition spaces, and home to both the National Portrait Award and the South African Clay Awards, the gallery proudly showcases established and emerging talent.

OFM interviewed Malik, the youngest sibling in a large family, who grew up in Upington. He matriculated in 2016 at S.C. Kearns High School in Louisvale Road, and in 2019, enrolled at the College of Cape Town to study art and design. 

He is currently completing an internship with the department of sports, arts and culture, while focusing fully on his art career.

After graduating, Malik returned to his hometown with limited optimism about realising his dream. 

He worked in various jobs while continuing to draw part-time and exhibit across the country, showcasing his work at esteemed galleries such as the William Humphreys Art Gallery in Kimberley, the Pretoria Art Museum, the Art B Gallery in Cape Town, and Rust-en-Vrede Gallery in Durbanville.

Without a studio of his own, Malik still lives with his mother and uses both his bedroom and the dining room as creative spaces. His persistence has already earned him recognition.

In 2022, he was selected as one of the top seven finalists in the Sasol New Signatures competition and received a Merit Award; in 2023, he was among the top 100 artists to exhibit at the Pretoria Art Museum; and in 2021, he was chosen as one of the top 40 artists at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery.

‘Mask’ by Malik Mani. Photo supplied

“Pencil is my preferred medium,” Malik explains. “It’s something I’ve been honing since childhood. I want my art to be symbolic, evolving to examine the unconscious mind and human identity.”

He adds, “I am currently working on multiple commissions and preparing for my solo exhibition. I am also seeking exhibition space and awaiting responses from galleries. In ten years, I envision myself exhibiting globally while teaching art to the next generation.”

When asked to describe himself in three words, Malik responded: “Patient. Creative. Persistent.” 

Among the South African artists he admires are Jono Dry and Patrick Rulore, while his role model remains his former college art lecturer, Shani Nel, although he has since lost contact with her. 

‘Never give up on dreams’

“She was the one who told me that I could make a living from my art. My advice to other young artists is to never give up on your dreams. Only you have what it takes to achieve them.”

Malik admits he doesn’t have much of a social life. “In my free time, I play soccer and do commissioned drawings. I listen to all kinds of music, but when I draw, I prefer rap and traditional music, like Ladysmith Black Mambazo.”

He concludes: “I am now fully dedicated to pursuing my art career and actively preparing for my forthcoming solo exhibition.”

The Portrait Award Exhibition 2025 will be open to the public at Rust-en-Vrede until 29 October.

OFM News/Susan Maré mvh