The finest grains of art
Spira Tlhankane | Friday June 24, 2016 15:49
In the past, ancient cultures developed a method for separating grain from chaff called winnowing and it was never an easy job. African women used a thin layer of woven tray called leselo in Setswana to perform this task, which is called go hehera in Setswana. As the President’s Day celebrations competitions draw closer, best artists are being separated from the rest with the judges employing a metaphorical winnower for the job.
While the judges have indicated that they were looking at various aspects, among others, originality and craftsmanship, there were categories that did not have winners like pottery, textile, leatherwork, ceramics and tapestry. Some categories like glasswork, basketry, woodcarving and pottery did not have any entry this year.
Three winners from different categories were selected and they will be combined with winners from the north to create a fiercer contest.
The winners were in the end selected from rest and Onkabeste Mpolokeng won the painting category followed by Bone Mompati and Kedumetse Tshidiso respectively. In the drawing category, Mogomotsi Selei emerged as the overall winner while Pedzani Dadani and Moses Maposa came in second and third in that order.
In the sculpture category, Gosego Motlogelwa stood above the rest followed by Keoagile Mosananwe and Meshack Kotwane. In print making, Obed Mokhuhlani won while Kgotlaetsile Mogopodi came third with no second place. Lebogang Rathedi won the beadwork category and Tebogo Sebetlela Moepi came second while Chedza Dube scooped the third prize. With no first place winner, Tumisang Santudu won the second position followed by Boitshepo Komisane on third in the textile category.
The leatherwork category that also had no first place winner had Nkgopoleng Kolagano on second position and Emmanuel Mhaladi on third. Landy Ratlhale was the only winner in the ceramic category on the second spot. Akanyang Ntshingane won the second prize in Tapestry followed by Boago Kereng on third.
The winner got P3,000, the second prizewinner scooped P1,500 while the third place winner walked away with P1,000. All the winners made it to the national finals, which will be held next month.
The winners could not hide their joy and in an interview with Arts and Culture, Ratlhale said being selected for this stage shows that he is doing something right. The man who was competing for the third time said this time he had focused on ceramics unlike in the past where he was doing pottery.
After competing in 2013 and 2014, Ratlhale said he took a break last year to learn the machine of ceramics. “I cannot draw anything that I make, they come in visions and it’s something that has always been in me,” he said. He currently has a workshop and studio in Otse called Rare Pottery and Ceramics.
For his part, Selei who scooped the first prize in drawing said this year is his second attempt after failing to make the cut last year. “I was a beginner then and I was only using A3 paper size,” he said. Selei said this year he embarked on an A1 size material and he was working with a medium called charcoal.
Selei said all the two drawings he submitted are all meant to promote culture. “One of my drawings is called The Frame and it shows that children are the ones who can uphold our culture if they learn at an early stage,” he highlighted. He said the other one is called The Vigil Of Culture Dynamics and it is also geared towards culture preservation.
Among this year’s first timers is Komisane and she told Arts and Culture that she had always visited the galleries to see the kind of work that artists submit at the competitions. “This year I decided to join and I submitted my two entries of embroidery and appliqué,” she said.
Komisane said textile is something that is closer to her, no wonder she studied it at Jwaneng and Gaborone Technical Colleges. The artist who is now a diploma graduate at Limkokwing University said making a cut at her first attempt shows that she is doing a good job.
The winner of the second prize in the painting category Mompati said he submitted two artworks entitled Jubilant Nation and The Wings of Change.
He said he put across the zebra as an icon and its stripes to show unity. He said the other artwork was meant to show people that they face challenges as they go forward. He said last year he scooped the same prize at this stage but this year he hopes to make it to the finals.
The exhibition was graced by the presence of Kgosi Mosadi Seboko of Balete who was the guest speaker.
The task of winnowing the winners at the national level is already underway.