Illustrators We Love: Tafadzwa Bero

INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr


Midrand-based graphic designer and illustrator Tafadzwa Bero (aka NATIVE) may be only 20, but his star is on the rise – and he has mapped out the galaxy.

Three-time semi-finalist for the international Adobe Design Achievement Awards, Tafadzwa Bero is an artist to watch.

How did you get into illustration?

I could draw from a young age. I was always discovering beautiful vector graphics on social media. When I started my graphic design degree, I was curious about learning how to illustrate. I tried to learn in my first year of varsity, but wasn’t successful. In my second year, I told one of my friends about my goal. I promised myself that by the end of the weekend I was going to have an illustration.

What does your creative process involve?

Usually, a concept comes to me from nowhere and then I’ll sketch it out with a pencil or Fineliner to see what it will look like. Sometimes, I jump straight into illustrating without figuring out the layout – often, these pieces are the best ones because they are spontaneous.

What message do you want your art to convey?

The messages are different depending on how I’m feeling. Last year, I did a series of portraits of African women. The intention was to show appreciation for women who work hard to feed a family or raise children on their own. Sometimes, I try to convey a meaningful message; other times it’s more a matter of just illustrating because it’s something I enjoy.

See more of Tafadzwa’s work at behance.net/nativebytafadzwabero.