Molapong claims his fine art stake
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday August 7, 2022 06:00
That is the case for gifted fine artist Tshepo Molapong, who had desired to be something else but found himself in a completely strange field that he had never thought he would pursue.
Like any other young child, Molapong had dreams about the path he wanted his life to take. Besides being into sport, specifically his love for javelin, he wanted a good paying profession. His choices were firmly between being an engineer or a pilot.
But as fate would have it, he also developed immense passion for the arts.
Even though it took him a bit of time to finally decide on this calling, the 24-year-old says has been doing it for the better part of the past three years. “I am a self-taught painter in fine and visual arts working with oil paints. I have been at it for the better part of three years now.
Growing up I had lots of interest. I aspired to play javelin, be an engineer or a pilot but I have always had immense passion and fascination for arts and creativity,” explained Molapong.
But when he reflects, he said taking Art as his optional subject during his Junior and senior schools, helped broaden his understanding of the skill. He said through the guidance and motivation of his then Art teachers, he felt it actually arousing his burning love for painting, something that he says would later on develop as he grew older. It was only prior to 2019, a few years after completing his high school studies, that he decided to focus on Art and doing it on fulltime basis. Now the sky is seemingly the limit for this young Gabane native.
“And I consequently gave up on the options I had as I started to accept my calling,” he added. Now Molapong is a happy man who does oil painting for a living. Besides commissioned pieces he does for clients on a regular basis, he said his personal studio work is greatly inspired by nature. He stated that he is someone who is drawn to paint and captures Botswana’s rich culture, Landscapes, wildlife and her Intriguing natural resources, which best tells her stories.
“The basis of my work is to sensitise the general public on the importance of conservation and to help trigger the respect for nature. I believe that it should be in our best interest as creatives in Botswana be it writers, poetry painters and musicians to continuously do our best to preserve our arts and cultural heritage through our respective mediums for future reference and generations,” he added.
Molapong explained his art genre as realism or hyper realism, which he said involves making paintings or drawings that resemble photographs and carry some sense of reality and emotions. As someone who pays attention to detail, he said his painting process is quite lengthy he studies his subjects and analyse key intricate details in the picture of the painting. Then once he has an understanding of the subject, that’s when he can dip his brushes in paint and pour soul into the piece.
“I like to listen to music, motivational speakers, and audio books playing in the background to keep my mind in a positive and passionate state which reminds me why I am doing what I do and enriches my creative instinct.”
Molapong said his key aim is to establish himself as a renowned painter in Botswana and globally as well to contribute significantly to the growth of local fine arts which has lots of potential. He also desires to own a studio with all his gallery, which would also serve as space where he could carry out his art practice as well as mentor and empower aspiring artists. He also aspires for an opportunity to showcase his work to the international audience at renowned art galleries.