Veteran artist Mothebe dies
Chippa Legodimo | Friday May 16, 2014 15:31
Mothebe, who was a self-taught artist, shared his life story through his works of art depicting his various journeys. One of the most interesting pieces was The Blue Train, which he did a decade ago documenting the economic transformation Botswana has gone through since independence.
A traditionalist, Mothebe also loved working on artworks illustrating the traditional life of many Batswana, often capturing the relations between the population, their stock and wildlife. Some of the 74-year-old’s paintings hang on the walls of the Mass Media Administration block. A former migrant miner in South Africa, Mothebe told of his life in the days of yonder in a painting showing miners busy at work. Last year he received the Presidential Certificate of Honour for his massive contribution in the development of art.
Mothebe who put emphasis on quality has travelled to countries such as Nigeria, Namibia and Norway to showcase his artworks, most of which depict Botswana’s culture and way of life. In the book, Art Botswana Thapong, Mothebe expressed his disapproval of young artists’ preferences of European influenced art pieces, saying the more they document such, the more they will lose their identity.
He also recalled how his art career started after he returned from South African mines, noting that he used to exhibit at the National Museum with Simon Seisa and Jack Mazibedi.