Young Selalome's impressive sculptures

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Friday February 22, 2008 00:00

 

Sickness had forced him out of school and the 'piece jobs' that he did to eke out a living did not bring much money home. Despite the major setbacks, his parents, who are farmers were pinning their hopes on him to improve their livelihood. Asked why he did not go back to school to join his peers after his health improved, Selalome responds: 'Nobody advised me to do so and I was lured away from school by the money that I earned as a labourer.'

As a breadwinner in the family, the sculptor had to find means to complement his meagre earnings.

'I then took time to think about what I could do to earn more money using my hands and I started making various wall-hangings that I sold to people in the village,' says the sculptor.

Selalome asserts that the wall hangings sold well and that the people who supported him most were women. However, the sculptor realised that the wall hangings did not give him much profit so he had to devise another way of making more money.

He then decided to do something unique, so he began moulding some figures and gluing them to the surfaces of the wall hangings. Again he realised that his new products were not impressive.

During this time when he was going through artistic challenges, he found solace in construction where he gets sub-contracts as a builder.

Selalome, who has been in the construction ever since leaving school, is now a respected builder in the village although he started off as a labourer. The dreadlocked artisan-cum-sculptor says that he never received any formal training but the fact that he is good with his hands helped him progress well.

'Nowadays, I am able to draw plans and build houses on my own whereas in the past I only worked for bigger companies that won tenders in the village,' says Selalome with a hint of pride in his eyes.

Although his job in construction consumes much of his time and leaves him tired more often than not, this did not kill his passion to explore his artistic talents.

One day he decided to dabble in sculptures and, as they say, the rest is history. Today, Selalome is an accomplished sculptor in the so-called River villages of Kgatleng East.

The artist took the Mmegi team on a tour of his open-air studio, which is littered with unfinished pieces. His parents are busy moving about doing domestic chores, including chasing away birds in the small back-yard garden. As Selalome shares his life-story with the team, a couple of his friends pay him a visit and admire his artworks. These almost life-size sculptures adorn the homes of some art lovers in the Kgatleng region.

The artworks are so impressive that they look like pieces of taxidermy. One would be tempted to believe that they only need a 'kiss of life' to stir them to life.

Selalome says it takes diligence and patience to make a good sculpture. First he makes an outline of the subject of his sculpture with wire. From there he fills up the 'inside' of the object with paper before moulding the outline with a mixture of cement and sand.

After moulding the object, he uses a trowel to help the object take the required shape.

One of the unique things about the cement sculptures is that once they have hardened, they become strong enough for a fully-grown man to climb on them. After a sculpture has hardened, Selalome either paints it or leaves it as it is as per the requirements of the client. 

At times he makes a sculpture using only glue and paper and these pieces are a lot cheaper than cement products.

Most of the sculptor's pieces would look much nicer outdoors. Selalome says that most of his clients are wedding planners who use his artworks such as cement vases and small sculptures for decorations.

His bigger sculptures are mostly used to decorate gardens. 'I am able to make a profit in this business and I do not see myself leaving it anytime soon,' asserts the sculptor. Selalome says that his artworks sell like hot cakes and that he never struggles to sell any piece. In fact, the three pieces that he is currently working on have been commissioned and ' clients can't wait to come and collect them'.

Although the sculptor is happy in his chosen field, he says that at times he struggles to source some of the materials because they are expensive. As a breadwinner, he spends most of the money he makes on his family.

The sculptor says that cement, glue and paint do not come cheaply but he is lucky since he gets free newspaper from the library at Madikwe CJSS.

So passionate is Selalome about sculpturing that he gives lectures at Madikwe CJSS for a small feel. The artist says that he is happy that the teachers at the school have recognised his gifting and that he is willing to impart that on the young and upcoming artists in the country.

Selalome says that although he has been sent from pillar to post by institutions like LEA, he won't give up since he believes that a Good Samaritan will come his way one day and help him out.

As the Mmegi team leaves, one of Selalome's friends makes a passionate plea: 'Please go back to Gaborone and give our guy exposure. He needs to sell all his artworks.'

With his immense talent, one can safely assume that Selalome will beat the odds and become one of the leading sculptors in Botswana.