Turning passion into profession
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Sunday July 3, 2022 06:00
She has always been passionate about art by making tiny wire cars with the opposite gender not knowing that one day she would impart the same skills to a younger cohort.
The Mahalapye native grew up playing with boys and she was dubbed a ‘tomboy’ something she wholly embraced. The visual artist said she spent her entire childhood playing with the boys, making mini-sculptures of everything their hearts desired, rather than playing with dolls like girls her age.
Mphitlhang, who is now an Art teacher at Tadabengwa Junior Secondary School at Gerald Estate, told Arts & culture that ever since she learnt all the art skills from a tender age, she has always dreamt of an Art related profession or nothing. She further stated that being an Art teacher was on top of her list because she had a lot to teach the other children who are gifted just like her.
The extraordinary visual artist described herself as someone who is out of the ordinary in art and recalled a time she had to ditch other subject fairs just to participate in art fairs during her secondary school days. She further explained that just so to make her dream come true at Molepolole College of Education, she chose Art as her major subject after completing her Form five.
The gifted Mphitlhang stated that her passion has always been to teach Art so that she can impact all of her skills and knowledge to the students. She stated that she also wants to help students who are not academically skilled on general subjects but yet exceptional performers in Art a chance to carve their skills so that they can make use of it in future.
The 30-year-old added: “During my tenure at secondary school, some of the students were performing well in Art only and failed other subjects, which ended up hindering them a chance to progress in life. Some of my colleagues are now engaged in social ills but they were very brilliant Art students. She further said the same students deserve a chance by nurturing their talents so that it does not go to waste.
She hoped for the government to come up with a way to assist students who are good in practical subjects so that their talent should not go to waste. The visual artist indicated that just like sport, the government should be able to identify talented artists at a tenure age so that their talent can be nurtured. Mphitlhang specialises in abstract expressionism paintings and print making. She was influenced by some of the famous artists of fortune like Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso and Salvedour Dali during her studies at Molepolole College of Education.
She said that just like the mentioned artists of all time who were doing abstract in drawing she enjoys making abstract arts in acrylic paint on canvas. “I can mix up media techniques as part of the abstract, which is all about simplified lines and shapes just to bring out a composition of different landscapes,” added the 30-year-old artist.
She said even though she is an expressionist and loves to express herself through colour, she has to lower her standard when she is in class to help her students.