Meet Clex the puppet master

Kgomotso Molelekeng | Friday March 21, 2014 12:52

 

 

Many know Motlhapisi ‘Clex’ Kaboyamodimo as the wise man that is always trying out new things.  But the majority of the people know him as the man who can make dolls dance.

Puppetry shows may be an ancient form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets, but for Clex it is all about putting a smile somebody’s face.  It is believed puppetry originated 3,000 years ago.  It takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate objects.

Clex started taking interest in puppets when he was a teenager.  The 30-something-year-old man explained that he grew up in a household where most of his relatives are creative.  They could think out-of-the-box, he said. He said that the grand master of things creative was his late father.

“I was told my father was known all over as the great traditional man.  Although I found him having already passed on craft it somehow motivated me to follow his shoes.  He was a very talented man who knew how to turn simple things into very beautiful fancy things.  His designs still fascinate people even now,” he said. 

Clex said that though his father did not go to school to learn the craft, unlike his father he had the opportunity to go to school.  “I was not academically gifted, but I always topped the art class.  My teachers were always impressed with my designs and often I would be selected to represent the school in the art fairs,” he said. This encouraged the then young Clex to use his creativity to make a living. He said when he did not do well in school he had to find other means to survive.  He decided to make designs and sell them, as life back then was tough.  “I made a lot of money out of all the drawings I did and other things I designed.  People used to buy them and use them as decorative pieces in their homes,” he said.  He remembered that the idea of making dolls that dance came to him in the late 1970s.

“There I was painting when some kids nearby playing with dolls kept disturbing me.  It suddenly clicked in my mind that I can make a dancing doll.  This idea has always been with me but I kept ignoring it until finally to avoid procrastinating I got to work on it,” he said. 

He made first doll in the early ‘80s.  He said it took days to make the dancing doll, but all the time he spent making it were worth it.  Later the results started showing.   “My first audience was not big, but soon enough word spread.  I later had a large crowd.  I soon got invites from the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture to showcase my designs.  People were amazed,” he said.

“That was just the beginning.  Ever since then this business of dancing dolls has been good to me.  I cannot say I sorely depend on it because I am also a mechanic and have other businesses.  But the money I get from it is more than enough to feed me the whole month.  This God-given talent of mine has surely sustained me this long,” he said.

Clex’s proudest moment was when a woman who used to stay in France told him that she saw a video of his dolls playing in cinemas at France. 

“I know I am good at what I do but I never thought I would reach countries outside Africa,” he said.

He then starts playing music and puts on a puppet show.  Within a few minutes people are already gathered around him, children are laughing and more interestingly is that even old people are enjoying the scene.  As they watch, the three dolls shake their bodies.  The most gripping thing about the dolls is that somehow they seem to have more striking moves than ordinary people. 

He has even named them.  There is the blind man who is shy and does not dance much, there is Rasta who is very naughty and can dance all famous moves and lastly Mma Ntau who knows all the girly moves.  Here is a man who loves what he does and is not afraid to show the world his skills.

“I know a lot of men will shy away from doing what I do but I just want to let them know that they are missing out on a lot.  If you are talented in something – take pride in that thing and people will follow suit and accept you,” he said.  His advice to young people is that they should discover their hidden talents and use them to shine.

“We are all talented in someway.  It is only that a lot of people are too busy to discover their talents.  Take time to assess yourself and you will find that talent,” he said.