Chrisfold Chayera, a 31-year-old artist from Malawi, Africa, did not let paralysis stop him from using his artistic talent.
Chayera had a malaria attack at the age of 11, which left his limbs dead, said Tichafa Mphande, co-owner of the art gallery WorldArtz.com and Ohio State graduate.
“He was a talented artist with the ability of using all his limbs until he contracted malaria when he was 11 years old,” Mphande said. “After spending two months in the hospital, the disease left him paralyzed. Not being able to use his hands to draw, he learned to use his mouth.”
Chayera has been painting nearly all his life, Chayera said.
“Art is my inborn talent; I never went to any school of art. I started drawing during my teens when I was at the primary school,” Chayera said. “Finally I became a qualified artist and this is the only source of my income.”
Chayera learned how to paint with his mouth from another talented artist who is also crippled, Mphande said.
“I have seen him painting and it’s quite remarkable to see it,” he said. “We showed a video of him painting this past Friday and Saturday evening at the Shi Sha Lounge and people had the same response.”
Chayera not only paints but also teaches others how to do it. Teaching is his primary source of income, Mphande said.
“I was impressed of his positive attitude and his desire to teach people how to create or paint art,” he said. “His students are not just people with disabilities.”
Chayera’s artwork is a contemporary folk art, Mphande said. Most of his paintings are village sceneries that the artist remembers when he was a pupil.
“Most of my artworks depict our cultural heritage like village scenes, lake, landscape, portraits,” Chayera said. “And I do use both oil and Acrylic paints. I can paint on canvas, velvet, wooden spoon, boards, winnower and hardpapers.”
His most memorable moment was in 1997 when he painted President Bakili Muluzi’s portrait, Mphande said.
Mphande said Chayera has a small gallery in the city of Lilongwe, Malawi, and his regular customers are tourist.
Chayera’s artworks became known in Columbus after Chayera met with Mphande.
“Upon meeting him we made an agreement that upon returning to the states I would do my best to try and expose him into a larger market, so that people can appreciate the beauty of his work,” Mphande said.
The WorldArtz.com gallery pays Chayera a monthly salary and provides him with supplies, Mphande said. Whether his artworks get sold or not, Chayera still gets paid, he said.
Chayera’s paintings can be found at World Artz.com gallery at 815 N. High St., Shi-Sha Lounge and & Espresso Café at 2367 N. High St. and Kafe Kerouac coffee shop at 2250 N. High St., he said.
“Three of his best paintings are displayed at Kafe Kerouac coffee shop.”
Mphande and Anil Mathew, owners of WorldArtz.com, say they are devoted to making foreign artwork known here in the United States.
“We are agents for artists looking for exposure in the United States market,” Mphande said. “We currently are dealing with seven talented artists from Malawi, Africa and Zambia, Africa.”
Chayera, a devoted Christian, is married and has a daughter, Mphande said.
