Koogotsitse: The boy whose inner artistic fire was unleashed by a P20 note
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Friday March 26, 2021 15:10
This is what happened to local fine artist, Thabang Koogotsitse when he was only five years-old.
The artist who is now a grown man recalls how he used to draw a two dimensional bus with his finger on the ground. “My father’s friend gave me a P20 because he was impressed by the immense talent I had.
He said it was unbelievable for a five year-old child to possess that kind of talent,” Koogotsitse told Arts & Culture in an interview.
He said the P20 he received was used to buy him toys and since it was a lot of money back then, he wanted more toys and could not stop drawing.
The artist, a tourism graduate from ABM University College, added that his primary school teacher once commended him for having a good handwriting. “But the truth is I wasn’t writing, I was drawing the letters. It went on from drawing the letters to being the pupil with a good handwriting and, assisting my teachers draw diagrams on the board. So to be honest, I didn’t choose the kind of art I am doing, it chose me,” he revealed.
Koogotsitse also said he used pencils mainly because they were always at his disposal when growing up. “I was inspired by the comments I got from people telling me how unbelievable my work is. I have made a lot of artworks but I have to admit I am in love with the artwork I made for Khumo Kgwaadira and the one I made for Captain Kgomotso Phatsima,” he explained.
Furthermore, the young artist explained that people are even commissioning him to make art. The talented artist focuses mostly on portraits because as he said, they were his main strength.
He added that he sold his work mostly online and also delivered in person and through postage. Koogotsitse also pointed out that he had even sold artworks to as far as India and United States of America this week.
Futhermore, Koogotsitse noted that he exhibited his art at Wagga Gardens under the Sip & Paint event and also at Ave Maria under Anticlo Investment Gala dinner.