Diseko's consistent passion for his craft contributes to his artistic growth

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane
Correspondent | Thursday May 24, 2012 00:00

 

He told Showbiz that his passion in art has made him grow into a better artist and that if young artists would invest more efforts and enhance their talent, art in this country would make a better profit out of the industry.

His sculptures are displayed at the recently launched vocational institution, Oodi College of Applied Arts and Technology (OCAAT). He has dedicated one of the sculptures: which depicts a woman carrying a child on her back, with a traditional basket on her head, called Fruit-full to the institution.  'This sculpture shows the strength of an African woman.  As you can see, she is carrying a child and a fruit basket on her head. African women are strong as they are able to carry many huge responsibilities with grace. This is what this school of art can do,' he said. He said this institution could bring many positive results.

Another displayed sculpture is that of a fish eagle. The eagle is chipped out of metal and the fish, captured in the water, is made of wood. Diseko noted that this sculpture reflects how the fish eagle, which is known for its strength and sharp eye, preservers to get food. In the centre of the school there are chairs surrounding firewood that depicts the culture of Batswana, who use a fire at night to warm themselves and entertain themselves with story telling, where families come together and share tales.

At the other side there is a sculpture of a man pushing a wheelbarrow. There is also one beautiful sculptor of a justice scale that is called Injustice: as it is not balanced. The other side is up while the other is leaning down.

There is also a fascinating sculpture called Law giver which depicts a man reading a book that empowers people with knowledge and law. This Rastafarian man says that art has been an integral part of his life for many years.

He said that even though he trained as a building construction technician, he always knew that his greatest strength lies in being a sculptor.  He explains his sculptures as the three-dimension art. 'As a building constructor, I know that building a house needs three dimensions: that is the foundation, wall and roofing. I approach my artworks with the same ideology. I begin with the stand, then start to build up, work on the overall creating process and finally, I work on the centre of attraction,' Diseko explained.

Diseko whose chosen medium is often metal said that even though he can use different materials to make his sculptures, he prefers to use metal, as it is durable, flexible and easily available. He said that since he do his sculptures out of love, he sell them at a price that he feel they deserve. ' My sculptures are sold between P10, 000 and P20, 000,' he said.