By Felix Anthony

Kharsang: A village youth from the eastern extreme of Arunachal Pradesh is spreading positivity during the lockdown time with portraits made of charcoal.

Jonathan Wangpan’s portraits of famous personalities like Mr. Bean, Snoop Dogg, Kiren Rijiju and others have won many hearts in Arunachal Pradesh and across the northeastern region.

“I used to draw cartoons on plain papers as a child. The lockdown provided me with enough free time to hone my skill,” says the 23-year-old Baptist from Longtom village of Changlang District.

His creations on ceiling boards are widely shared on multiple social media platforms these days.

The student of Servanthood Bible School in Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland, a neighboring state, says he is happy to bring joy to people in these depressing days.

He said he had a lackluster teenage when he fell into “all kinds of bad habits, leading to his failure in the twelfth grade.

“I did not want to go back to my bad past by keeping the mind idle during this lockdown. I looked for some inspiration on the YouTube and a few ideas encouraged me to take up charcoal portrait paintings. I did not expect at all the love and appreciation I receive these days,” the youth told Matters India.

About the tools used for his work, he says, “Working with charcoal and pencils helps easily rub off what I make and to create another. I do not have the budget to buy ceiling boards every day.”

His financial difficulty seems to have resolved as his work has impressed Devansh Yadav, the Deputy Commissioner of Changlang District. The officer has offered him a drawing assignment. A few others too have asked him to draw for their office and workplace.

Many have reacted positively to his works on social media and more than 2,000 people have shared his work on multiple social media platforms.

“There is a celebrity in each one of us. Lockdown free time is best opportunity to discover the superstar within. With the support of social media, one’s call to fame could be just a piece of charcoal away,” says Khakjung Mossang, another youth from the village.