Reaboletse's soothing art

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday May 7, 2023 06:00

 

He says he has realised that his art brings smile to sad faces, as such he uses it to change how people feel about themselves at any particular moment.

Born in 1998 at Moiyabana village, Reaboletse says he specialises in drawing but is currently learning how to paint. In an interview with Arts & Culture, the talented young man said he normally uses colour pencils to draw.

He added that he also makes portraits and commissioned artworks. He currently resides in Selebi-Phikwe. “I am a very emotionally intelligent young man. I look into the souls of people. I do not just draw. What inspired me to start drawing portraits is that I wanted people to feel better about themselves. My artwork can bring smile to a sad face and more happiness brings a smiling face.

As one of the famous theories published by John Dewey ‘we do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience,’” he said. Furthermore, Reaboletse explained that drawing is a process in which artists learn as they produce work. He added that he started drawing at a very young age when to most of his peers, it was an opportunity to make friends and create all the beautiful childhood memories. He says he drew people from magazines, and enjoyed it, adding that his skill has developed overtime. “Art is who I am.

When I am in touch with my creativity, I gain purpose from art. My aims and resolutions drive me to express who I am and what I see around the world. Art is a relational subject, it relates with all existence. Existence I mean, plants, animals, air, humans, landscapes, skies, clouds, rain, time, and all weather and clime," Reaboletse said. He said many people still do not know much about art, they lack knowledge and understanding of where it is coming from and going despite its ability to bring joy to the lives of many.

However, he said he continues to receive positive feedback from all corners of Botswana and even from the diaspora. Reaboletse also pointed out that he has been drawing professionally for six years and still counting. He further explained that there was one piece that really speaks to him every single day and the drawing was a portrait of his grandmother.

He said whenever life got tough it gave him hope that everything would be well. He added that it made him reflect back to his childhood, the love and care she showed them. Even though he does such a splendid job, he said he experienced many challenges such as shortage of materials in his area always forcing him to order online which would take days while his work progress suffers and was also costly.

The other challenge, he added he experienced, was lack of support saying people were there physically but could not buy his work. He pointed out that his artistic journey started back in 2016 at Selebi-Phikwe Junior SecondarySchool where he won the best student in Visual Art Award, which was sponsored by an alumni from Australia.

He explained that after finishing his Form Five examinations, he started joining the art industry professionally where in 2018 he registered for the President’s Day Competitions for the first time and managed to get position two in the drawing category in his region back in 2019. He later scooped positions one in the drawing category in his region the following year and in 2022.

From 2017 until 2022, he said he was also running his tuition for junior and senior secondary school art students in his back room at home where he helped them with their project so that they could finish well in time. He said the art industry in Botswana is growing, adding that he has also grown at a personal and professional level and expects his art to reach many souls and inspire many talents in the next few years. "My work will be viewed in galleries in Botswana and outside the borders. Besides doing portraits and drawing, I am a scholar at Molepolole College of Education.

I am doing my Diploma in Secondary Education where I study Art as my major subject. I would like to see upcoming artists in general being able to express themselves beyond their set boundaries,” he said. He explained that as artists they have the power to shape the world and make it a better place for all. Even though he pointed out that there were challenges along the way, he said they should never give up on their dreams. He further said art is a tool for empowerment. “All of us have encountered art, the manifestation of human creativity in different forms. Take music, for example, it has proven to be powerful to alter emotions of the listener.

Art has the power to change the humanly tools beyond the regiments of money, power and fame,” Reabolotse ended.