Creative raw talent showcased at Thapong
Spira Tlhankane | Friday August 24, 2018 11:41
The exhibition that is a build-up towards Thapong Artist of The Year Awards (TAYA) is mostly dominated by painters and their visual works speak more than the brush that caresses the canvas.
Thapong coordinator, Reginald Bakwena told Arts & Culture that they have managed to attract a good number of youthful artists to participate in the exhibition. He said even though the exhibition was used as a build-up, upcoming visual artists have shown renewed interest into the world of artistry.
“It is a good thing that we are encouraging the artists to come forward with exhibition such as this. Overall, their works are impressive and they are showing their individual strengths,” he said.
Bakwena also said the works show the effort the artists put in preparing for showcases like these. “Let’s continue to work hard, even with every topic they should show creativity.
They should build-up concepts because every artwork has to tell a story. Art should communicate,” he emphasised. He acknowledged that sculpture category is still lacking and many artists are not coming forward to show their skills. “I am still worried about this category, so we need to conduct workshops and even invite international artists,” he said.
Bakwena noted that Batswana artists have the skill but they have to be pressurised into research. “They have to Google every aspect of their art to improve so that it gives art the necessary strength.”
The exhibition that is still open has impressive artworks like Lecha Mosinyi’s Rescue me painting, which epitomises the struggles and challenges women face, such as abuse and femicide.
The colour expresses the mood of the artwork and demands attention from the viewer. The beautiful young lady is depicted in pieces and the look in her eyes shows how the world had disappointed and destroyed her.
Besides painters and their vivid imagery, one striking artist in the gallery is Washington Murangariri, who uses metal. His two artworks, crown crane and blue crane, show just how much the man can forge metal into something durable and meaningful. While the crane is not like that in actual size, Murangariri shows that metal, just like wood can create life-like objects. The young artists are proving to the veterans that come end of the year when TAYA resurfaces, they would be ready to rumble.