Daddy�s little painter
Thato Kala | Friday February 21, 2014 16:54
The legendary painter’s three-year-old daughter, Natasha, has taken a leaf off her father’s fondness for painting.
At the rate at which the little girl is going, Ngoni knows they will soon be fighting for painting space, brushes and canvases.
But he is pretty confident his precious little girl will soon start selling and buying her own.
As he prepares for his upcoming exhibition, ‘The Dream’, he is overly excited about her progress. But he is prepared to let her discover other passions and pick her desired career path in future.
“As a father, I’m there for her, but if she decides to change at some stage I will continue supporting her,” says the proud father.
He is clearly impressed by her work, so are her teachers.
“She’s quite promising. She knows all the colours and her teachers tell me she is the best in her class.”
The creative tot surprised her father last Friday on Valentine’s Day with a lovely painting.
Ngoni first discovered her passion for painting at the end of 2012.
He shares how when he was ill, the little girl picked up a brush and started painting to cheer daddy up.
And those that will attend his exhibition that runs from March 7 to 21 may catch a glimpse of the little girl.
For Ngoni, the exhibition is just about celebrating his life. He testifies that he has a lot to celebrate as an artist.
“I feel like I am having fun. There was a time when I could not afford paints but right now I am painting what I want and what pleases me,” says Ngoni.
He wants those that will attend his exhibition to feel what he feels as an artist when he paints.
He says: “I’m sharing my experiences. I found meaning in life and painting has given me a voice.”
The man popularly known as the ‘son of the brush’ will pick what he has previously worked on going to this exhibition.
The works will include cultural paintings, HIV/AIDS-related paintings, children and grasshoppers.
He attributes what will be on display to dreams that drive his life. He is bent on seeing his dreams evoke energy in those that will see his works.
The 36-year-old is elated the responsibility to evoke dreams in art followers will be shared with Rebecca De Figario. They jointly showcase their works at the upcoming exhibition.
“What interests me about her work is that it is very different,” he says, adding that it will perfectly blend well with his.
“To someone who will look at her work alongside mine might think it’s childish but in this exhibition it needs to be diluted. It is too bold, too strong,” says Ngoni.
The two met a few years ago. Although they had been seeing each other at exhibitions they discussed the possibility of an exhibition together.
They both felt it would be great to do a joint exhibition. Ngoni says he has not collaborated with any artist in over two years, but relishes doing one with Figario.
“It is very important to team up with seniors who have been there already for more guidance,” he says.
Ngoni, the more popular of the two artists, has a lot of respect for Figario and picks her as one of the people to have paved the way for him and several other artists.
He says: “I’ve been seeing her work around. She’s an amazing person. I like her. Her personality and attitude just excited me. She’s warm.”
Ngoni has previously said they plan to display about 30 pieces at Thapong Visual Arts Centre.
He, however, explains that the exhibition is not commercial.
“It is all about showing how I photograph and put my dreams on canvass. Of course, we will have a few paintings on sale.”
He says his interests and phobias influence his dreams. All that is reflected in his works.
The assertive artist says his studio is the only place where his dreams come true and are turned into pictures and paintings.
“I want to show what I have amassed over the years – how I can paint what I want to paint.”
He is not deserting his meleko style. It was those that felt it carried lifelike elements christened his work meleko.
Interestingly, he says Figario has captured a bit of it in her works.
The award-winning painter takes his art as a great form of entertainment and believes it contributes to the general happiness of humanity.
The talented painter is fully focused on playing his role as a formidable building block of art in the country.
He has been painting for 21 years.
He is aware most young artists find themselves where he was some two decades ago.
He says: “For young artists, all they need is to work very hard and stop bragging.
should stop relaxing – art is not a walking distance. Selling 20 paintings does not mean you are there. I see a lot of artists want to be like Wilson Ngoni, but behind the scenes I do not sleep, I am working.
I am still painting as though I have no name.”
Whatever heights he may climb with the brush, he strangely vows never to paint potatoes.
“I have a phobia for them. They remind me of dead people.”
Funny enough, he says he hates food and would not mind surviving on bananas.
Ngoni is celebrated beyond the borders of Botswana and is bullish about remaining on top of the pile in art.
With such confidence, Ngoni can definitely make a mark with his art anywhere in the world. He is ready to conquer it.