Making art from scrap metal
Lucy Kgweetsi | Monday August 4, 2025 06:00
Born in 1984 in Kareng, North West District, Kakomee-Tjeja grew up surrounded by creativity. Both his grandfather and father worked with wood and metal, so he learned by watching them. In an interview with Arts&Culture, he recalled, “As a child, I didn’t like it because I wanted to play. But now I see they were passing on something important.” Kakomee-Tjeja studied at Molepolole College of Education, earning a diploma in Secondary Education, majoring in Art with a minor in Music. After some years of teaching, he chose to leave the profession to focus on art full-time. “I needed more space to grow as an artist. The classroom was too limiting,” he said. Now, his work centres on sculpting using scrap metal and discarded car parts. In his area, scrap is easily accessible, and local mechanics in Charles Hill and Gantsi often give him pieces for free. “I use what’s around me. I don’t have to buy expensive materials,” he explained.
For him, the message behind the material is just as important as the art itself. “When people see my work, I want them to think about how we can make something useful from what we call waste,” he said. His most well-known piece so far was a sculpture presented to former President Mokgweetsi Masisi. Made from car engine parts, it symbolised strength under pressure and the diversity of people a leader must unite. “I told him, when the pressure comes, remember you were made for it.” While he mostly works alone, he has recently started collaborating with other artists, such as Kajumo Morokotso, and has partnered with the Gloria Kgosi Foundation on community-focused projects. But despite recognition, he says artists in Botswana still face deep challenges. “People often try to negotiate my prices, even when they’ve paid others full rates for the same event. This shows they don’t value what I do, despite it being intellectual property.” He said.
Kakomee-Tjeja also highlighted the difficulty creatives face when trying to secure support. “I went to the land board to acquire land for a recreational park, museum, and craft shop, but was told I don’t qualify. This lack of support makes it hard for creatives like me to grow,” he said. He believes that artists should be respected the same way other service providers are. “Negotiation should be done in good faith. If you go to a hotel, you pay the set price or you don’t. It’s the same with our work, we deserve respect and fair treatment,” he said. He urged national leaders to help close the gap. “Our leaders need to step in and find ways to level the playing field, so business can be easier for us creatives.” While he acknowledges the usefulness of tools like OpenAI, he is clear that they can only go so far. “They can support us by providing tailored assistance, but they can never replace real support or become our major bias.”
Kakomee-Tjeja continues to build art that carries a message about resilience, value, and making something out of nothing. “When things get tough, I remind myself why I started. I want to help others see that they can build something, even with very little.”