Lifestyle

Monageng crafts 'This Is Art'

 

 

His magic has always been unmistakable when he picks up a drawing pencil or paintbrush.

As he starts 2014, Monageng's 'game plan' is unambiguous.

'I've discovered my new self. I am moving away from fine art to more contemporary art,' he says.

His first assignment is This Is Art, a 12-piece collection. Eight pieces are already complete and one titled Maad Strokes clearly gratifies the talented painter.

'I was painting what is from my heart,' he says.

The collection will be showcased in Gaborone in March. One thing is certain; Monageng wants to leave a mark with this collection.

He likens himself to the Egyptian pyramid builders whose work could not be replicated by anyone.

In fact, he says a lot of his art is inspired by Egyptian history and hieroglyphics. The people who made those things, he says, are the only ones who can figure them out. He has adopted the concept that 'you can't build the pyramid again, but you can make a duplicate'.

Monageng is enjoying a purple patch in his arts career after a local church recently enlisted his services to do murals at their place of meeting. He drew an altar in the podium area; he then did a drawing of Jochebed placing her son, Moses, in the water as she hid him away from Pharaoh who was killing male babies in Egypt.

His other mural depicts Mary at the birth to Jesus.

'They needed something that would be relevant to the church and I made it over two days,' he says.

He has previously exhibited in many exhibitions including at the Thapong Artist of the Year 2009, 2010 and 2011, Thapong Members' Exhibitions and also participated in the President's Awards and other workshops.

But that was before changing his style. While the style may have changed, the dream of seeing his works hang in the world's most prestigious museums has not.

He says he wants to be considered one of the most influential people in the art world in Botswana.

With his determination and strength of character, his goals are not too far-fetched after all.

The ambitious artist continues to name his art pieces, just like a parent would name a child.  One of his most captivating pieces is Keletile

Monageng recently changed from his mum's surname to adopt his dad's.

His mother passed away 11 years ago and he vividly remembers how she recognised his potential from a tender age.

'She identified my talent before everyone else could.  She bought me colour books,' says the avid artist.

He prefers using acrylic on canvas, because it dries faster.

His inspiration as an artist, he says, is his surroundings.

He also picks on the late American art legend, Charles 'Chuck' Close as one man whose works inspire him.

'I've seen duplicated portraits of his work; I fell in love with the guy because I could relate to it,' he says.

He also has a lot of respect for Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dali, a prominent Spanish surrealist painter.

Dali was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His painterly skills are often attributed to the influence of Renaissance masters.

Just like Dali, he is highly imaginative and also enjoys indulging in unusual and grandiose behaviour.

For that reason, he admittedly hates to call himself a painter. Instead, he refers to himself as an author because when painting he feels like he is writing a novel or retelling the past through colour.

And the two men whose work he admires have passed on, but their work continues to be in demand.

But, the ex-GSS student wants to reap the fruits of his sweat while alive.

'The greatest artists are dead, but I want to be great while alive. My work should be sold for millions while I'm still on earth. I want to enjoy the fruits of my labour.  I want to change the course of history,' he says.

 He believes there is 'nothing new under the sun' and says painting has been there for more than 2,000 years in the country, only evolving with changing times.

'Some of our ancestors were making rock-paintings back then, long before some of us were even born,' he says.

But he says art has grown to become a universal lingo, which everyone can relate to and understand from young to old.

His mission is to carry on the legacy that his forefathers left behind 'painting the future and retelling the past'.

Being the believer that he is, he is convinced that beyond every person there is potential, and beyond every failure there is success.

During his spare time, he listens to music and watches movies. He fancies Motswako tunes while American gangster movies are his favourite to watch.  His favourite dish is dumplings and (beef) stew.