The finest grains of art

In the past, ancient cultures developed a method for separating grain from chaff called winnowing and it was never an easy job. African women used a thin layer of woven tray called leselo in Setswana to perform this task, which is called go hehera in Setswana. As the President’s Day celebrations competitions draw closer, best artists are being separated from the rest with the judges employing a metaphorical winnower for the job.

While the judges have indicated that they were looking at various aspects, among others, originality and craftsmanship, there were categories that did not have winners like pottery, textile, leatherwork, ceramics and tapestry. Some categories like glasswork, basketry, woodcarving and pottery did not have any entry this year.