Mental health exhibition on the cards
Spira Tlhankane | Friday February 21, 2020 15:41
Last year, the fine artist decided to spread his artistic wings following an invitation from a fellow artist abroad. Nkawana is now back home in full force to share his experience with fellow Batswana artists.
“I have been engaged in charity work for a long time now. This year I decided to gather a handful of artists to work on a project where we will do art to help people with mental issues,” he revealed.
He said when he comes up with ideas for his projects he looks at what is needed mostly in his society at the time. “Mental health is a big challenge in Botswana and I will be going around the country with other artists sensitising people about issues of mental health,” he said. Nkawana said they would be doing that through art such as drawings on A4 papers.
He further said artists would express the mental health topics through art.
Nkawana said the intention is to also bring psychologists also to help tackle the broad issue. “I am trying to teach people through my talent which is art,” he said. Nkawana said after touring all the places it would all come down to an exhibition called ‘Art for mental health’ to be held in Gaborone. “The exhibition will be centred around mental health and we will take some of the works we did during the tour,” he said. Nkawana said part of the proceeds from the exhibition would be donated to some other organisations.
For her part, the artist from Philippines May Ann Bayhonan said having hosted Nkawana before in her home country she was happy to be part of this project.
“We intend to also do it in my country, I am so much into illustration,” she said. The artist who ended up getting married to Nkawana said she would also love to experience Botswana art through this project.
One of the local artists who will be working on the project, Botsogo Kgomo said this concept would communicate well with Batswana. “ We don’t just want to help but we would like people to be engaged on this subject and talk about mental health,” he revealed, adding they wanted the exhibition to exceed expectations.