Soaring with art

Spira Tlhankane | Friday January 8, 2016 14:37

For more than 20 years now, Moses has never been anything but an artist. His journey in the world of visual arts unfolded in the year 1994 when he joined Kuru Development Trust. The then young Moses never knew that his talent would take him to places he had never been and meet people he never envisioned.

When Arts and Culture visited his studio at the Thapong Visual Arts Centre this week, the veteran painter was working on one of his latest artwork. Being a perfectionist painter himself, Moses was momentarily oblivious of our presence as he was giving undivided attention to a piece of artwork he was finishing up.

Looking back, Moses said he joined Kuru because he was so passionate about art and he loved the idea of seeing his talent engraved on canvas.

He made various pieces and it was not until 1995 when he sold his first artwork. That was when he got inspiration to look at art the other way.

“I was so motivated and that’s when I realised that art can be beneficial. I never knew at the time that I could make a living out of my talent,” he recalled. Moses said he now knows that art had potential to unleash the best in him. “At the time, I thought building houses and farming were the only careers that can bring food to the table,” he said. Kuru was very instrumental in Moses’ growth as an artist but he needed to branch out and fish in the better ponds. That is when he moved to Gaborone and joined Thapong in 2001. “After I joined Thapong I started to spot the difference because at Kuru they did everything for me including pricing my artworks,” he said. Moses said through Thapong’s workshops he was able to learn how to market his artwork, buy materials and price his products. “Thapong gave me the light and I grew artistically,” he said.

Being a dedicated artist, Moses got his first shot at the international market when he was invited to market his artwork in New Mexico in the year 2006. “In New Mexico, I learnt that most Batswana artists do not work hard to showcase their talent, they put money ahead of everything else,” he said. Moses said he learnt to produce more artwork and share his knowledge with others.  “I also learnt that in order to price your product properly you have to look at the duration taken to finish the product,” he said. Moses said he has since shifted much focus into what people like in a product of art. “I also learnt that as artists we have to take pictures of our artworks to create a portfolio that can be seen in decades to come. Art is an investment,” he said.

Moses was then invited by BEDIA to exhibit his work in Los Angeles, United States in 2008. “It was a two-week exhibition and I sold all 45 of my artworks,” he said. Moses said his unique style separated him from the rest no wonder it got so much recognition. “Foreigners love my work but most Batswana don’t understand it,” he said.

Moses indicated that his work focuses on wildlife and birds unlike most local artworks of realism. “The shapes in my work show animal movement; this type of art can only be found in Kuru,” he said. Last year Moses was in Kenya from June to July for another international exhibition.

Moses is not just an international artist but he has also won numerous awards locally. “I won the President award in 2009 and 2010; I won the TAYA in 2007 and last year,” he said. Moses said he doesn’t participate in the awards more often because he wants to give young artists a chance to showcase their potential.

To market his work, Moses said he once tried door-to-door marketing but it didn’t work because Batswana didn’t understand his work. “I now put it on social media so that people from other countries can see it,” he said.

In March, Moses will head off to the United Kingdom for yet another exhibition and he will be there for six months. “This exhibition will give me a chance to market myself because that is our greatest challenge here locally,” he said. Moses said gallery owners in Europe have invited him. “They want me to stop by Sweden and Finland when I return to the UK,” he said.