Kelapile’s art piece earns her P10k
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday June 19, 2022 06:00
After a week in which youngsters were busy creating artworks for the inaugural Botswana Travel & Tourism art exhibition run through a collaboration between the Thapong Visual Arts Centre and Remmogo Foundation, the winners were finally announced Tuesday morning. Conducted under the Culture & Tourism Inspired Artworks, the art exhibition was only open to young artists of ages 18 to 35. Kelapile’s fine piece fended off stiff competition from 20 other art pieces to win the ultimate grand prize of P10,000.
Rodney Mongwaketsi and Gofaone Thebeetsile came in second and third places taking away the prizes of P5,000 and P2,500 respectively. Titled ‘Weaving the Future (Re Loga Isago), Kelapile’s piece was unique for the eye. The artist chose to utilise basketry and the famous ‘Mr Cobra’, who has become synonymous with indigenous knowledge, to bring forth a message of hope and unity for the future.
Explaining her work, the 30-year-old Gantsi-born said through the art piece, Mr Cobra can be seen gazing thoughtfully and deeply into the distant future, a symbol of vision. She said the background behind his head shows basket making in the process. “Basketry is a symbolic meaning of what weak and feeble materials such as straw, grass, and threads can do when brought together.
They become firm and strong,” she explained. Kelapile expressed her delight for winning the price, although she always had the confidence that she would take something home. “I was so happy.
But I could tell that I’m the winner when he explained the winner’s artwork. It was said that the winner had freely expressed herself, so I knew it was me because every time when I paint or draw, I try by all means to be free and let the hand do it's magic,” she said. She said while her preference has always been with chalk pastels and charcoal, however with this art piece she decided to go for mixed media and combine chalk pastels and paint.
According to a representative of Remmogo Foundation, Kagiso Morebodi, the art exhibition should not be viewed as just a competition for prizes but also a revelation of exceptional talent among the local artistic youngsters. “We found it fit to engage with Thapong to make sure it becomes a success they are advocates of visual arts in the country.
The art exhibition was done nationally to have young artists express themselves,” said Morebodi. Morebodi said artists have been stuck due to COVID-19 restrictions and as such this is a platform to revive the desire and creativity of young people. “We want to empower young people and get their work out there to EUs, SADC, ministries and HATAB for exposure.
We are excited. This is the inaugural, so next year we want to increase the prizes,” he added. For his part, the director of Thapong Visual Arts Centre, Reginald Bakwena, said the art exhibition is a platform for artists to interact and market their products to the public. “We have been locked up due to COVID-19 and this will help us recover our emotions and creativity.
This is an opportunity to build up their career as well as build up public appreciation of the arts. This is also a marketing opportunity and a preparation platform for other competitions such as the National Arts Festival,”he said. Bakwena explained that to choose the best winning art pieces, the judges looked at whether the artists captured the theme, looked at the clarity, creativity and originality, quality and overall impression as well as the craftsmanship of the art piece.