(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Winning an international art competition as tough and challenging as the one sponsored by The Church History Museum may seem like a major turning point in a person's life, but for Mattise Binauli he knows that the day his life took a turn for the best was the day he reached out his hand to two missionaries as they passed his roadside art market.

Binauli, who titles himself the Cultural Deaf Artist Master, became deaf at age nine. Suddenly his world was silent. His friends afraid of him, his community cut off through ignorance and prejudice against a condition believed to be contagious. In his isolation he began to draw and then to paint as a way of interacting with a hearing community and society that did not want him.

Over the years, Binauli struggled with the faith he was born into, a faith that didn’t align with his heart or with the teachings of the King James Bible in which he felt strongly was correct scriptures. He had prayed “if there is true religion, please lead me to find it”, but as is often true, prayers get answered only after time and trials.

Binauli’s answer came one day while he was setting up on the side of the road to sell art to tourists. Two missionaires were passing by and Binauli reached his hand out to them.

That was in 2015 and it didn’t take him long to decide to be baptized into the Church. As a new member of the Church and member of the local Deaf community he enjoyed joining the missionaries in their work of sharing the gospel with those most cut off from the world. It was during this time that he developed a special lifelong friendship with Elder David Collins. When it was time for Collins to return home, he wanted to try to help his friend by returning to the states with some of Binauli’s paintings in hopes of selling them.

Meanwhile, Binauli’s life continued. He found love and married. He also became friends with an artist from Beaver Dam, WI, Ron Benisch. Just as Collins had encourage Binauli to submit work for the International Art Contest, Benisch encouraged Binauli to enter into a contest by a new company looking to market art in the US. Binauli won both contests.

Collins, who had been prompted to bring art from Africa for Binauli, had been struggling to find a way to market and sell the art was now in a position to really help his friend with the introduction of Artists World Guild.

Collins has been more than a good friend to Binauli, he has become a benefactor to Binauli by shipping his original works to have them photographed by professional photographer Felix A. Wong and working with internationally acclaimed artist and printer Terry Pyles who will produce the prints of Binauli’s work so that they can be marketed, along with Binauli’s original works through AWG nationally.

Binauli is humbled and grateful as a result of the many blessings in his life since that fateful day when he met the “Elders in Africa” but continues to hope and pray that the blessings will continue so that he can someday soon afford the long trip of 1073 miles to attend the South Africa Temple for the first time and become sealed for all time and eternity to his beautiful family. Binauli also hopes that someday he and his family will be able to travel to the US and attend a session of General Conference.

Binauli lives in Malawi, Africa and paints portaits and scenes from life in his African Village. He relies on art sales to tourists to support his family, but due to his disability is often barred by local government officials from marketing his art to them. His award winning painting can be seen on display at the Church History Museum during March of 2019. His original works and prints of those works can be purchased through artistsworldguild.com

Artists World Guild was the brainchild of founder and owner, Patricia Burkman of Ketchikan. Living in the small community of Ketchikan, with little opportunity to put her life’s experience to good use, she began looking into ways that could help artists like her friends and husband develop steady income streams.  AWG, is the result. AWG started out with the name 40 North Artists but ran into a conflict with another organization with the same name out of Illinois and had to change it.  

There are many featured artists, not only locally but worldwide, promoted by Artists World Guild. Promoted artists include Ketchikan locals Doug Burkman, Mike Gates, Terry Pyles, Carlos Rojas, Dave Rubin, and Feliz Wong. Collections can be purchased online.

Source of News:

Artist World Guild
artistsworldguild.com

 

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