my Journey as a Fine Artist


The Unexpected Detour to My Artistic Destiny

Oh, to be a kid again, lost in a world of doodles and dreams! Between 2005 and 2010, my world revolved around my pencil and any surface I could get my hands on. Seriously, every exercise book—English, French, EST, Math—was a canvas waiting for its next masterpiece. And yes, that often landed me in hot water with a particular teacher. Can you guess her subject? 😉

My sketch repertoire was pretty diverse back then. You'd find everything from the Arsenal FC logo (go Gunners!), to legendary football players like Ronaldinho and Zidane, national flags, Spider-Man, Che Guevara, or even a delicate rose flower. It wasn't long before my classmates and even my teachers at GACUBA II A in Gisenyi town started seeking my artistic "assistance" for scientific diagrams, school projects, or just some decorative flair.


My very first "paying gig" came at the tender age of nine. Living on a church estate, there were several offices, including Compassion International. I got called in to help color some African objects on letters being sent to donors. Waking up every day to do art and get rewarded for it? That truly built my confidence and ignited a spark.

Dreaming of the Brush (and Beyond)

From then on, I really started to entertain the idea of becoming a professional artist. Of course, like many young minds, I had other options swirling around too, like journalism and teaching. When it came time to fill out those crucial O' level career forms, I put all three down.

The results came, and I was offered a spot in teacher's training. But there was a catch: the school was too far from home. My parents, bless their hearts, tried to find a closer TTC, but there just wasn't any space.

 

A Scholarship, an IT Curveball, and a Dad's Perseverance

Then, my life took an unexpected turn. We heard about a scholarship being offered by MIGEPROF, but it was exclusively for students pursuing technical studies. My parents were really struggling to pay school fees for me and my five siblings, so I knew I had to seize this opportunity. I joined the first available technical school, ESTG. The only problem? I landed in an ICT school, and honestly, I was not au fait with the course. This was back in 2013. Talk about a curveball!

What I didn't know was that my dad was still tirelessly knocking on doors, searching for a path that would lead me to my true destiny. Just two weeks into that unwanted IT course, a teacher called out, "Gloire, come out! Somebody wants to meet you." To my absolute surprise, 

it was Dad, on his trusty AG100 YAMAHA motorbike. 

"Pick your belongings," he said, "let's go to Ecole d'art de Nyundo (Nyundo School of Music and Fine Art)." My heart swelled with such joy and excitement, I thought I was dreaming! Then I remembered something Dad used to ask me, "What if I found space in the school of Arts?" My answer was always the same: "I would gladly transfer!"

And just like that, my artistic journey was back on track.


Commentaires

  1. Jozee3 juin 2025 à 02:17

    What a beautiful and inspiring journey, Gloire. I really felt the passion in every line—from drawing in schoolbooks (I had a feeling it was a math teacher) to your first art job with Compassion International. Your story is a reminder that talent, support, and persistence can lead us to where we’re truly meant to be. Huge respect to your dad for believing in your dream and making that Nyundo moment happen—it gave me chills. I’m looking forward to reading your next post about your musical beginnings. Keep creating and inspiring.

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  2. odeke linus3 juin 2025 à 09:37

    Waaoh, very inspiring and emotion enhancer, very nice, keep up.

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