ReCurate to showcase BW’s dynamic art scene in SA

correspondent | Monday May 19, 2025 07:34

In 2024, ReCurate became the first Botswana-based curatorial agency to represent three local artists at the second installment of the RMB Latitudes Fair. Building on the momentum of last year’s successful participation, ReCurate will once again be one of the few representatives from Botswana, offering a curated glimpse into the nation’s burgeoning and diverse artistic landscape. ReCurate said in a statement that this year, it will showcase the compelling works of a tour de force of Batswana artists: Naledi Maifala, Kutlo Mabua, Modisa Tim Motsumi, Neo Matome, and four artists from the renowned Kuru Art Project: Ntcisa Kase, Bau Kaashe, Cgoma Simon, and Ncaotoe Thama. Under the thematic curatorial concept, 'Liminal Spaces', ReCurate’s presentation will delve into the “in-between-ness” phase that Botswana’s contemporary art scene finds itself in, and who we are as we emerge onto the world’s art scene, while defining our unique voice within the broader African context. The exhibition will explore the exciting diversity and stylistic contrast prevalent in the works of these artists, highlighting the thriving yet still nascent local arts ecosystem. It further states that the diverse practices of the featured artists will explore personal themes related to identity, transience, and the human journey of being and becoming. Through painting, photography, material culture such as embroidery, and mixed media, the artists will examine the intersection of cultural and social identity with individual expression.

Featured artists: Naledi Maifala:Up-and-coming young artist, Naledi Maifala's serenity of her neo-impressionistic miniature landscape and still life paintings speaks to deeply personal themes and creates quite an impact on all who encounter them. Her collection of miniature paintings to be showcased at this year’s fair is created with acrylics on canvas cloth. They capture meaningful moments from Maifala’s life that have taught her valuable lessons about being “present” and in the moment. The artworks are about the connections she holds dear, such as with her beloved grandmother and family, her connection with nature and her garden, as well as her pets. The artworks are a celebration of the gift of the “present and presence” of life in soft hues and speak of how all these moments of her life, “big or small, teach how everyday activities can resemble fulfilment and contentment.”

Kutlo Mabua: Kutlo Mabua is a self-taught visual artist from Mahalapye, Botswana, who is slowly but surely growing to fame outside of Botswana’s borders. His work reflects an ongoing journey of self-discovery and personal evolution, exploring identity in a state of renewal.

Through his creative process, Mabua delves into the nuanced layers of growth, introspection, and the balance between vulnerability and strength. He tangibly explores and demonstrates this layering and moments of transformation through his creative process of layering various materials in his collaged multi-media artwork. Using mediums like ink pointillism, acrylics, and hand embroidery, Mabua explores themes such as human relationships, belonging, and identity. His portraiture, defined by meticulous pointillism, infuses each dot with emotion and memory, making every piece personal and intuitive.

Modisa Tim Motsumi: Modisa Motsumi is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Francistown. Motsumi’s work made its Latitudes Art Fair debut last year’s fair with great success. The striking black and white photographic self-portraits were met with acclaim and emotive enthusiasm by all who encountered them. This year, ReCurate has the pleasure of returning to the fair with more of Motsumi’s powerful self-portraiture photography. His work explores various contextualisations of the black body as both place and inhabited space. Identity, hybridity, and belonging are central themes in his practice. As well as exploring the human form and the boundaries of the skin, the work explores issues concerning the black body and its politics of visibility, specifically for those considered to live on the borders of society.

• Neo Matome:Neo Matome is a veteran multi-disciplinary artist in Botswana’s visual arts arena. Early in her career in the 1990s, she became well known for her compelling abstract paintings, but in recent years has delved more into multimedia, photography, and installation artworks. For this year’s RMB Latitudes Art fair, Matome returns to her love and mastery of abstract painting and will be presenting new abstract paintings. Her abstract works in acrylic paint contemplate notions of identity and our place in the world; the social and cultural moves we have to navigate to arrive at the values that inform our choices and decisions, including the palpable communal spiritual connection evoked by shared experiences such as loss or joy. The paintings seek to invite the viewer to pause and meditate on what it means to be a sentient being. Colour plays a symbolic and evocative role in these abstract paintings, thereby enabling the artist to explore emotions tangibly.

Kuru Art Project:The Kuru Art Project, located in the village of D’kar, Western Botswana, was established in 1991 as part of the larger Kuru Development Trust. The artists are Naro and Dcui San, who have lived in and around D’kar since the early 1960s. Formerly a nomadic people, hunting and food gathering from the veld remain significant cultural activities, and these activities are most often the subject matter of the artwork of the Kuru artists. Myths, legends, and events of a bygone era, which have been readily passed down in stories told by elders, typically also inform the subject matter of the artworks. Yet they all converge on a theme characterised by a mythical connection with animals and objects of their ancient past, while continuing their lives in a world that demands completely different skills to survive. The artists, who are self-taught, work in various media and techniques, including oil on canvas, printmaking, and embroidery. They draw inspiration from stories told by their ancestors, and their expansive knowledge about the plants and animals from the Kalahari.

For this year’s “Botswana Focus” at the RMB Latitudes Art fair, ReCurate will feature specially-made embroideries by four of the project’s female artists. The beautiful embroideries depict the themes most often seen in their paintings: animals, birds, insects, and San cultural artefacts, such as jewellery and skin bags. ReCurate said the exhibition is a unique opportunity to experience the richness and innovation of contemporary art from Botswana and engage with the artists’ compelling stories.