“My Passion Has No Expiration Date”: 83-Year-Old’s Artistic Debut Defies Age

• Kanti Narsing Soma, an 83-year-old Johannesburg man, is inspiring South Africans with his artistic talent, proving that it's never too late to pursue your passion
• Born in India, Soma moved to SA at age six during the apartheid era, drawing inspiration from his father, who was a signwriter for theatres and the Performing Arts Council
• Despite having no formal art education in his youth, Soma is now developing his skills in oil painting and hopes to host an exhibition soon

A Johannesburg-based artist is showing South Africa that age is just a number when pursuing your dreams.

From signwriter's son to artist

At 83 years old, Kanti Narsing Soma is developing his artistic talent with the same enthusiasm as someone decades younger. Born in India in 1942, Soma moved to South Africa when he was just six years old, during the height of the apartheid era.

Growing up in a segregated society meant restricted opportunities and separate schools for young Soma.

"We were restricted. We had to go to separate schools, everything was separate."

Despite these challenges, he found artistic inspiration close to home. His father was a signwriter who created posters for prestigious venues like the Performing Arts Council of Transvaal and various theatres, including the Playhouse Theatre.

"My dad's my biggest inspiration," Soma recalled warmly. "I used to give him a hand when he used to put up the six-foot board in Pretoria."

As a child, Soma would travel from Vrededorp to attend the Indian Government School in Fordsburg's Bree Street. His artistic talent was recognised early, with his primary school teachers often displaying his artwork on classroom walls.

"In primary school, my pictures were always on the wall," he remembered with pride.

Even in these early years, Soma's talent was nurtured, though not through formal education.

"With apartheid during that time, it was quite difficult because there were a lot of restricted opportunities, especially for people of colour."

Instead, he learned by watching his father work and experimenting with his father's brushes whenever he had the chance.

A lifetime of creativity

Though naturally drawn to art from childhood, Soma, like many of his generation, first needed to secure steady employment before fully pursuing his passion.

"I worked as a display artist and as a manager to the merchandising department in a sign company."

Throughout his working life, he maintained his connection to creative fields, never straying far from his artistic roots. His love for nature also expressed itself through gardening.

"I always wanted to be a gardener," he mentioned, with his front yard now filled with various plants, including a carefully tended bonsai.

Having been married to Luxmi for over 50 years, who also has artistic talents in woodworking, Soma is the proud father of four sons and grandfather to four grandchildren. The couple has lived in Lenasia since 1967, where Soma continues to nurture both his garden and his artwork.

With his professional responsibilities now behind him, Soma's golden years have become a renaissance for his artistic pursuits. He attends weekly classes at Creative Sense, a graphic design studio in Gauteng, where his teacher, Krish, helps him refine his techniques.

"I learned a lot from my art school. My teacher taught me the finer points of art like blending."

Finding joy in oils and nature

When it comes to materials, Soma prefers oil paints over acrylics. He said that he appreciates oil paints because they let him work slowly without worrying about them drying too fast.

"With acrylics, you have to finish your painting quickly."

Soma explained that his creative process is completely spontaneous. When inspiration hits and he’s in the right mood, he just sits with his canvas. Then he begins painting whatever image comes to mind, often inspired by nature.

"I paint things around nature," he explained, adding that his love for plants, trees and natural elements strongly influences his subject choices.

Rather than political or historical themes, his work celebrates the beauty of the world as he sees it.

Soma hopes viewers of his art will experience joy and happiness, feeling a natural connection to his paintings. When asked what he wants people to take away from his art, he simply said:

"Joy. I want them to be happy, to relate with the picture."

He sees his work as both a personal expression and a tribute to his father's artistic legacy; "like father, like son," as he puts it.

His favourite piece so far is a painting of a lady with a cat.

While he admires artists like Vladimir Tretchikoff and Irma Stern, Soma says his father's work remains his greatest influence. He also appreciates emerging art forms like graffiti, acknowledging the hard work and talent required, even if it's not something he would attempt at his age.

Staying young through art

Beyond just creating beautiful paintings, Soma has found that art offers him something even more valuable, a sense of youthfulness and purpose in his later years.

When asked why he continues to pursue art so actively at 83, Soma pointed to his desire to make the most of his time. Instead of slowing down, he's embracing life fully.

"My friends like to praise me, they tell me 'you do gardening, you do art, and you do road running.' I think it's because of my extroverted personality, the ambition to be creative while being an active sportsman, I keep myself mentally and physically active," he said with pride.

This active lifestyle has benefits beyond physical health.

"With art, I feel young at heart," Soma explained. "It's always keeping me on my toes, so I never have time to think about getting old. It allows me to see the world differently, it's more beautiful."

Despite the joy his current artistic journey brings him, Soma isn't without regrets about his past. Looking back, he wishes he had explored more of South Africa's art landscape when he was younger.

"I didn't capture enough opportunities to explore all of the art in the country, all of the art studios, all of the art galleries, all of the history that I could have found."

Now, he tries to make up for lost time by fully embracing his creative side.

Dreams and advice for the future

While Soma has accomplished much in his artistic journey so far, he still has dreams he's working toward.

Though he faces several challenges, including the high cost of art materials on his retirement income and limited exposure for his work, Soma's enthusiasm remains undimmed. He hopes to hold an exhibition one day and would like to master charcoal art, a medium he hasn't yet tried.

He's also eager to connect with younger generations through teaching, offering to share his knowledge with aspiring artists for free, as long as they have some kind of artistic talent.

His advice to young South Africans hesitating to pursue their artistic calling is simple but powerful:

"Just paint. If you're eager to learn, just keep doing it, and you will eventually make it. If it's something that makes you happy, do it, because that's the only thing that will make you happy."

For those interested in viewing or purchasing Soma's artwork, he can be contacted at 011 854 4265 or through his son, Pankaj, at 073 185 4265.

Other inspiring stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a young man who was once told he was "too dumb" to study actuarial science after scoring just 17% in maths, but went on to achieve seven distinctions.
• A determined student mother touched hearts across South Africa when she proudly walked across the graduation stage with her baby in her arms.
• An artist's unique lipstick portrait of late Springbok rugby star Cornal Hendricks gained widespread admiration after going viral on TikTok.

Source: Briefly News