Born and raised in Selebi-Phikwe, the 31-year-old Langwane moved to Gaborone in 2011 for tertiary education. He says it was during a difficult period of unemployment in 2015 that he turned to art as a way to make ends meet. What began as customising sneakers and clothing soon grew into LincFix Arts, an artistic venture that now includes paintings, portraits, and murals. “Before I started LincFix Arts, I had always had a passion for art. From a young age, I had always been an artist. I had an undying love for art, but I didn’t see it as something I could do professionally,” he says. That changed when he customised a pair of his sneakers while in tertiary and received overwhelming interest. “The reaction I got and people asking for my work was what moved me to pursue art as a career,” he added. Langwane’s artistic approach is defined by his refusal to conform to rules. “I can’t say there is a particular artwork that I specialise in. I can do a lot, and that is all because of the dedication and passion I have for my craft,” he adds.
His work is diverse, ranging from clothing customisation to large-scale paintings, but he has a particular love for portraits. “I capture the essence of my muse in ways that really express way more than even I could ever imagine,” he explains. Despite his passion and talent, he has encountered challenges that many artists in Botswana face. “Our people are so good at looking at art and appreciating it from the visual aspect, but they can’t invest in it,” he says. While he acknowledges that there has been some progress, he believes the local industry has the potential to grow much further. “Our economy is growing. We shouldn’t always have to look for markets in other countries when we could be greater here, within the source. Groom and invest in our local artists. Grow them and grow the country,” he says.
