Rebecca�s paintings evoke happiness

Thato Kala | Friday February 28, 2014 16:09

 

In fact, Botswana’s leading painter Wilson Ngoni, who does a joint exhibition with De Figueiredo next week, says, “to someone who will look at her work alongside mine, they might think it is childish”.

Ngoni’s work is known to carry bold messages, while De Figueiredo’s is simply calming and therapeutic.

The son of the brush, as Ngoni is affectionately known, is thrilled as he believes De Figueiredo’s work will water down his exhibition material that is laden with “heavy messages”.

Her style is not abstract, it is mostly realistic.

And she is aware of the difference between their types of art, but is overly content with her work.

“My art is not as serious as Wilson’s, his art makes statements,” she says, giving an example of Ngoni’s famed pregnant skeleton. Coincidentally, that happens to be his favourite piece of all time. 

She adds: “My art brings a feeling of happiness and peace while his are quite like a loud shout.”

The England-born portraitist, De Figueiredo, will stick to her style when she displays her work at the exhibition that runs from March 7 to 21.

In sheer show of confidence and passion for what she does, she boldly declares: “I do my own thing; I cannot step away from my style.”

The award-winning artiste has done extremely well in her three decades in the industry, but does not remember how it all started.

All she knows is: “I am more of an artist.”

Perhaps the closest clue that points to it being a thing that runs in the family is her sister who is an art teacher. “She has art in her brain,” she says.

Her dad was good at literature. She remembers how he was a good writer.

As she grew up expressing her artistic talent, she remembers the most common remark about her work earlier in her life. It was always “wow, Rebecca, look at that. It is beautiful”.

She admits each time people told her she was good it made her feel like moving on.

While the heartening remarks made her want to express herself artistically, it almost landed her in trouble with her parents. She would draw on the walls at home, something that did not go down well with them.

And later in life she began to reap the rewards of her talent.

She arrived in Botswana in 1987 and later won an art award. She also had her painting used on the cover of the Telecoms Directory.

The more she got the accolades, the more she wanted to do it.  And at 50, De Figueiredo is still passionate about art.

She has featured in several exhibitions in the past, but feels the upcoming one is quite unique.

She obviously admires Ngoni, who equally has a lot of respect for her.

De Figueiredo is amazed by how Ngoni, who was good at mathematics during his school days, settled for art, which is not so lucrative.

But she acknowledges he has done very well in what she refers to as a gambling route.

“I like the way he talks, the way he carries on. I have always admired his work and we always talked about doing an exhibition.”

The duo is likely to display between 30 and 40 pieces at the showing.

“People will see a lot of colour, big, tiny paintings and lots of variety. The walls will be plastered with beautiful paintings,” she says excitedly.

And those that have previously had a look at her work will know blue will be a dominant colour at the exhibition. She picks it as her favourite colour.

The upcoming fair is not about money for her. She is convinced exhibitions bring artists’ names to the fore and in future people remember the name and buy their pieces.

The cheerful artist says people must have art in their homes for the sake of children.  She hardly remembers anything that happened when she was three, but vividly recalls what was on the wall at the time.

However, she reveals her own kids are not as keen on art as their gifted mum. She believes technology may be taking kids’ minds from creativity.

“Today’s children have been taken by technology. When I was a child I did not have a mobile phone, I think it takes their mind from being creative,” she says.

But with her associate, Ngoni, it is a different case as his three-year-old daughter has taken after him. She admires that and urges him to cultivate the little girl’s gift.

Whatever the case may be in her life, she would rather not do anything else, but art.  “I live with sweat pouring down on me, it is not a comfortable way to make a living, but it is a passion for me,” says the enthusiastic artist.

She is excited art in Botswana is growing. She, however, calls on more women to “get down and paint”.  The conversational painter describes art as something done to express oneself.  “Look at the Tsodilo Hills. It is something man has always done.”

Although she has not done international exhibitions, she has previously displayed some of her work on websites.

To sharpen her skill, she does something art-related at least for an hour per day before helping her husband with paperwork. Although her hubby is not necessarily an artist, she says he has been supportive.  

But, just how does she get ideas of what to paint? “I have got to be happy; I must not be stressed because when I am in a happy frame of mind I can think of so many things to paint.”

She has seen the direction of her work change over the years. “I used to love drawing houses but now it is nature,” she says.

While she has swung to a new direction, one thing that has not changed is her drive for what she does.

And every time she completes a piece, she always thinks it is her favourite and can hardly single out any as her best ever.

Her advice to art hopefuls is that they should keep fine-tuning the skill and be open-minded as art is broad.

“It does not necessarily have to be painting; you can channel your art elsewhere,” she advises.  The veteran artist sees a bright future for art in Botswana.