Untold stories exhibition on at Thapong

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Friday September 3, 2010 00:00

Initially, Kgope was supposed to exhibit with Same Mdluli, a Motswana artist based in South Africa, but Mdluli pulled out.

However, this did not discourage the artist who told Arts & Culture in an earlier interview that he would mount a few but world-class pieces with exciting themes and techniques, a promise that he surely kept.

Speaking of this breathtaking exhibition, the artist said, 'My works explore diverse elements in the post-modern society.  I create contrast and ambivalence by combining materials that are conventional and unconventional.'

There is no doubt that Kgope took time to work on the pieces as most of them are pleasing to the eye.

Memories, which showcases an elderly woman reflecting on her husband's World War II exploits will impress art lovers.  The artist wisely used dull colours to highlight that the theme of the piece was all about nostalgia and reflections.

Oil on canvas, Kgomo E Naana depicts a cow and her heifer against a German print or leteisi background.  According to the artist, cattle form an integral part of the Botswana society as a saying goes, 'Ka e rua ka tlhoka boroko, ka e tlhoka ka tlhoka boroko'. 

As for the leteisi background, he said that he made reference to it because it has become part of the Setswana traditional attire.

Human Trafficking, which is the only piece that is not for sale at the show, is most certainly a curious work that will get many wondering what it is all about. 

The piece is made of a palette with a child's shoe attached to it.  Kgope indicated that he chose to use it to decry human trafficking of women and children, which is common in Africa.

Luminal Creatures is an exquisite piece depicting two goats.  Another artwork that showcases goats is Streetwise Goats.'I have once again used goats as a metaphor for the exploration of the dichotomy of rural/ urban migration,' Kgope said. Luminal Creatures greatly impressed visiting director of the Centre Soleil d'Afrique in Bamako, Mali, Hama Goro.

'I love eye-catching pieces that are not only beautiful but get people thinking as well,' he said of Kgope's artworks, which are mostly conceptual in approach.

Splash is aptly called so because it is a splash of bright colours such as blue and red.

Brainwashed is a thought-provoking piece with its main subject being someone who looks like the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir who some consider to be a despotic leader.  Who ever that person is, his eyes are as red as those of the devil and on his side the artist depicted a woman timidly clutching her baby.  Could the artist be highlighting the plight of women and children in Darfur?

Flashback is another piece whose theme is reflection as it showcases a female figure reflecting about the transition from childhood to old age.  This artwork is one of those that impressed Goro.

Also at the exhibition is Kgope's interpretation of Auguste Rodin's The Thinker in which he asked a janitor at Naledi Senior Secondary to pose for him.  He has used the same janitor to pose for his other works.

The jet print Detergent, which showcases a woman covered in foam, clearly shows that the artist is adventurous when it comes to coming up with his works.

The three-piece Melville Street is reminiscent of the time he spent in the street of the same name in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Other pieces to look out for at the exhibition include Dustbin of History, Colourfield, Moonlight, Nightmare, and 247, which are equally impressive.

The exhibitor comes from the village of Metsimotlhabe where his grandmother raised him.  He first noticed that he had talent when he won an art competition while doing Standard Seven at Ikageng Primary School in Gaborone.  Back then, he only did art in the afternoons to while-away time with his schoolmates.

 Kgope started doing art as a subject at secondary school and went on to graduate with a distinction at the University of Johannesburg where he read for his honours' degree in fine art.

With Untold Stories, the artist has demonstrated that he deserved winning the Thapong Artist of the Year last year.  Kgope will be handing over the throne end of this month.