South African stationery brand BIC has launched a new pocket lighter range, Afrilights.
Inspired by Africans for Africans, the Afrilights collection showcases the beauty of Africa through the eyes of its people.
To celebrate this, the brand invited the public to share their most inspiring images of the country for the chance to have their art featured on a BIC pocket lighter.
The Afrilight competition wrapped up with 35 artworks that best represent the beauty and diversity of the country and its people.
The three winners were Corlia Pretorius from Linden, Johannesburg, Thuso Modikela of Phokeng, Rustenburg in the North West, and Henno Pitzer from Brakpan, Johannesburg.
Pretorius said: “My image was about connecting ourselves to Africa and our culture. For this piece, I deconstructed a photo of myself to the most basic facial features and filled it with a typical, multicoloured African sunset.”
The first runner-up, Modikela, said being part of the campaign meant a lot to him, as it proved his talent to himself and others.
“The campaign might open doors for me, people may recognise my work and possibly offer the assistance I need to take my art to the next level. It has also helped me gain more confidence in my craft,” he added.
“It feels exciting to be a winner of the BIC Afrilights campaign, this is the beginning of a new and exciting journey for me and my art career.”
Pitzer said he was inspired by nature. “All of my images were inspired by my passion for the preservation of our natural parks and reserves. Every image is unique. The interactive online approach of this competition intrigued me, and the composition and layout of the lighter also complement the image,” he said.
