In South Africa, artist earns money from portraits made with lipstick and coffee
Self-taught artist Ricollin Moodley from Port Edward in South Africa creates portraits using lipstick, coffee, chocolate and curry gravy to support his family. The 25-year-old artist began drawing in 2017, when the earnings of his father Ahmed, who worked at a shop 200 km from home, were barely enough to pay the rent.
As TimesLIVE reports, Moodley’s first commissioned work was a sketch of the grandson of a German man, which he drew on a local beach. The artist asked to be paid in bread and juice for his family, but the man later brought groceries, money and a mobile phone.
Experiments with materials
Moodley started with pencil sketches and sold portraits, landscapes, images of wild animals and still lifes at school and near the local shopping centre. In 2023, he began experimenting with a discarded box of lipsticks, learning to mix shades and work with colour.
With the help of his sister Es-Lee, who manages his social media content, the artist has gained more than 400,000 followers on Instagram. A portrait of South Africa rugby captain Siya Kolisi, made with lipstick, caught the athlete’s attention in November 2023. Kolisi bought the work, commissioned a family portrait and, in November 2024, invited Moodley and his family to a Sharks team match.
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Helping the family
The artist also created a portrait of musician Black Coffee using coffee, basketball player Steph Curry using curry gravy, MrBeast using Feastables chocolate, and David Beckham using Victoria Beckham lipstick. His works helped the family pay for rent, food, education and medical bills.
In January, the artist’s mother Evelyn underwent an amputation, after which she remained in hospital for a long time. When sales of his works declined, Moodley launched a fundraiser on the BackaBuddy platform. It exceeded the target of 400,000 rand, which was intended for medical care and a new rented home adapted for a person with a disability.
According to Evelyn, during the Covid-19 pandemic the family lost its home and lived at a campsite for a month until Moodley sold enough works to pay 11,000 rand for rent and a deposit on an apartment. Ahmed was recently dismissed from his job, so the bills are paid by Ricollin and his brother Matteo, who works at a franchised clothing store. The artist has also collaborated with cosmetics brands, luxury accessories brands, a car dealer, food companies and a streaming platform.
