The SmART Artist (2023), directed by Smart Vinti from Malawi, is a short film screening in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. Rather than offering a simple story summary, this film invites reflection on themes including albinism, art, employment, motivation and perception. It also raises questions around medical and physical disability, trafficking and the experiences of young adults seeking creative pathways. Thoughtful and observant, the work encourages audiences to rethink assumptions about talent, opportunity and viewpoint. A concise, compassionate piece, The SmART Artist sits comfortably within the festival’s aim to highlight the abilities, experiences and achievements of people with disability.
Until recently, 25-year-old Smart has been hiding in plain sight in one of Blantyre's commercial centres at Chirimba. My name is Smart Vint. I'm 25 years old. I come from Malawi, Blantyre, Chirimba. Basically, I work at the Malay Council for the Handicapped, but at my free time, I do art, like painting, especially to ensure that I can just say I'm a visual artist. In his room hangs a work of art. In it, he depicts the story of the late Macdonald Masambuka, a man with albinism who was butchered by a notorious cartel. Since 2021, its members have been convicted and imprisoned for life behind bars for trading human body parts. Smart is a rare gem in the art circles, a master of charcoal on paper and proficient with paint on either canvas or wool. I started art at a very young age. I remember when I was at school in primary, during my primary years, a teacher used to call me to draw diagrams on the board. So I can say like art is an inborn talent for me. I've been focusing since I was very young up to now. I go to work from Monday to Friday at night. If I have work, if someone has given me something to do for him or her, I do my work at around evening hours, at night, or even Saturday or Sunday. The 25-year-old is just one of the many artists spiking a promising creative revival in the city of Blantyre. Whenever I'm free, I don't find myself doing nothing because any time is precious for me. I always make sure to practice my art each and every time whenever I am free. As in my family, we are two, me and my older brother, and my mum. My dad passed away when I was very young. It's not like I started doing art a very long time ago. I just started doing it recently. Years back, I used art as my income source. My family was depending on me to draw something, to do something for art which would give me money. So it's like I was a breadwinner back then. Up to now, they still depend on me. But like I say, during my years of experience with art, it wasn't very successful. I met some obstacles up and down, yes. And being a person with albinism, people were underrating my skills like I can't do anything, I can't do art better than we do. But after when I drew something, that's when I realised that I think everyone can do. It's not like just because you have a certain disability you can't do anything. And that's when they started believing in me. They gave me a way to do for them. So I can say there were some ups and downs, yes, and there was success because of art. If someone asks me, what is the best day of your life when it comes to art, I would say the day in which I presented my portrait to the former president of Malawi, Professor Fabita Mutariga. Like I said, that was my greatest achievement because when I was young, I used to tell myself, what if I can draw something for the president? And the president will receive it. And I managed that. I managed to draw the portrait. When I did anything I wish I can to give it, to present it to him. He recalls a moment at the presidential palace four years ago when he presented a pencil portrait of the former president, Professor Arthur Peter Mutariga as his biggest achievement so far.
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