Christelle Mukesha is a self-taught artist based in Belgium who specializes in hyperrealism and various pencil drawing techniques, using graphite and charcoal. Passionate about drawing since her teenage years, Christelle focuses on human experiences and emotions, particularly self-love, acceptance, and personal growth. She often portrays women, especially black women, with a positive and empowering message. Her art serves as both self-expression and therapy. Outside of drawing, Christelle enjoys staying active, reading, listening to music, and creating inspirational content for social media.
Meet the Artist:
Interview with Christelle Mukesha
As a self-taught artist, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in mastering hyperrealism, and how did you overcome them?
When it comes to hyperrealism, the biggest challenge for me is patience. Once I understood that aspect of the process, everything became a little easier. I used to think, as many do, that talent was innate and that I could never reach a certain point, but in this field, talent is mainly about having a lot of patience: patience to understand, to practice for hours and, in general, for the process.
You describe drawing as an escape and a form of therapy. How has your creative process helped you in your personal journey of self-love and acceptance?
Drawing is mainly an act of observation and presence. When I'm drawing and concentrating, or listening to my music or a podcast while drawing, I'm present, I'm not thinking about much else. "Mastering a skill also gives you a lot of self-confidence and, personally, when I finish a particularly difficult project, I feel like I can achieve almost anything.
Your work carries a positive and empowering message of healing and acceptance. How do you hope your art impacts those who experience it, especially women and young girls?
I like to draw women and black people in general, most of the time with a positive message as well as the technical aspect of the drawing. I want my art to have a positive effect on those who see it in general, but on black women and girls in particular, in that it will encourage them to approach their own light, beauty and power, to accept who they are in an unapologetic way and to move forward despite all the challenges we face in this world.
What books, music, or other forms of media have inspired your work, and how do they influence the themes and techniques you explore in your art?
My art is mainly inspired by human experiences and emotions, so anything to do with these subjects can inspire me. I like books and media that are particularly focused on personal development.
How do you use your social media presence to connect with and inspire your community, and what role do you see social media playing in the contemporary art world?
I want my social media presence to help me create a community of artists and art lovers who are inspired by what I do, whether it's to learn or to be encouraged to create or do what they want to do. I think these platforms are important for artists today so that they can create fully and freely, make a living from what they love and, literally, touch the whole world with their magic, moslty for self-taught artists who don't necessarily have connections in the art world.
What can our community anticipate from your future ventures, and how can they support?
I'm just getting started and I intend to develop my art based on the themes I mentioned earlier. My intention is to create a community around creativity and self-expression through art and content. Any help in this direction is welcome, starting with sharing my work. It's much appreciated!
Can you give us one sentence that describes your art, life and style?
I like the sentence that says "If you want something that you've never had, you have to do something you've never done". For me it's a call to always challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, that's where extraordinary things happen.
Artist Contact Info:
All images are property of Christelle Mukesha