Ziki Kraai believes there is no failure in art and that an artist keeps on learning new skills as long as he or she is alive.Kraai learnt sculpting before he even started school.Today, the elderly man insists he is still learning and does not believe he will perfect his craft any time soon."You cannot talk of an artist's 'best pieces' because an artist must be creative and innovative and there will always be something new to create. As long as you are living, you will keep on learning new methods, some of which have never been tried before," he insists. Kraai has been sculpting for almost his entire life. In the early years, he would find time between running errands and school to mould clay cattle and other toys.
As he grew older, he advanced to carving wood. What he did was normal for boys his age during those years, but he displayed a special talent in creating such art works.His real potential was discovered when he got to Moeding College where art was not part of the curriculum. That was in 1967 and one of his teachers, the late former minister of education George Kgoroba, noticed there was something special about Kraai."My teachers picked that up, but it was in fact Rre Kgoroba who came forward and helped me with art books that I could use to advance my skill. At the time I would create things like Mosimane Wa Mmankadile. Art was not a subject then, it was just a hobby. He encouraged me and soon I had gained confidence to work on various pieces," Kraai told Art & Culture.
After completing school he worked at a bank in Lobatse, but art was in him and he could not leave without creating.
