Talkative Ditlhakeng�s voice loudest in art
| Thursday August 7, 2014 12:42
The young man from Ramotswa often finds comfort and excitement in crafting realistic pieces of art that capture the attention of those who would come across them.
“Art is my voice. I am a talkative person, but often I find that some issues I can only communicate them through art,” Ditlhakeng said.
At just 21-years-old Ditlhakeng is a relative beginner, but some of his pieces resemble the work of seasoned artists.
His piece at the ongoing ‘Save Me’ wildlife art exhibition at Alliance Française demonstrates the youngster’s ability to create moving and beautiful art pieces.
The former Gaborone Secondary School student used coloured pencils to produce a three-dimensional picture of a lion cub desperatly trying to escape danger.
Even without being informed of the theme one is able to pick the message the young man was trying to communicate.
The innocent looking cub appears scared of some danger and tries to take refuge behind an abandoned log though it is clear the old tree trunk does provide sufficient cover.
“This piece of wood looks unlikely to provide any protection for this cub, but in its mind that is its only option. Based on the theme, I decided to put an emphasis on the fact that these animals are often exposed to danger, so much so they even imagine that hiding behind a log could save them. I think I owned the idea once it was introduced to me,” he told Showbiz.
Ditlhakeng’s passion for realistic art has been the driving force behind his success as an art student over the years.
Although he only developed interest in art at age 13, the young man quickly grasped different techniques.
He ultimately passed the subject at junior secondary school. He did even better at senior secondary level, obtaining a pass credit for the subject.
“That was motivation enough for me to be ambitious and now I am aspiring to do even better. I have been doing pieces at home, mostly on request and the praises I get encourage me to do better,” he said.
His meeting with renowned painter Wilson Ngoni seems to have added more fire to his passion to make it big as a fine artist.
Ditlhakeng said the award-winning artist shared a few tips with him; some of which he has already started applying.
“Wilson is an inspiration. After talking to him I felt I was better than I had once thought. He told me that he believed I have huge potential and encouraged me to push myself to the limit,” he said.
Famed artists, Leonardo Da Vinci and Pablo Picasso’s works are also inspiration for the young man to push his passion.
He hopes to produce art pieces that leave an impression and can even change people’s perceptions of the world, much like Da Vinci and Picasso’s work has.
“I cannot be Pablo Picasso, but his success as an artist is enough to make me aim high. Interacting with people like Ngoni also makes you want to achieve more. I have only just started exhibiting and I am not yet able to determine exactly where I stand in the perking order in Botswana (art scene), but I have the ambition and the drive,” he said.