�Traditional art is boring�
Dumisani Ncube | Friday January 20, 2017 14:25
Upon discovering that she has talent in pencil drawing, Refilwe Wale did not waste time engaging in traditional art on the canvas, but she resorted to focus on illustrations, doodles, character design, typography and calligraphy. “I got tired of seeing the same drawings, which have the same subject. I decided to venture into something different and focus on it. Then I had to start with graffiti, which led to the birth of other traits such as character design and illustrations,” 23-year-old Wale said.
She noted that traditional art is congested as many people are focused on it, which quickly made her lose interest for it the moment she decided to take up art seriously at 20-years-old.
“I like being different because it makes me stand out.” At high school she was introduced to painting, but admitted to have failed it because it looked difficult and led her to getting a D on her final exams despite having the passion.
Wale’s work comes in different forms, which is mainly character design of cartoons that she conceptualises then fuses the art artwork with other traits such as doodles, typography and calligraphy. Sometimes her artworks just carry one trait from all the traits she applies.
Her art portfolio is filled with various works that she has done or is still working on, “Each piece is inspired by my mood or what will be on my mind at that particular moment when I am working”. She noted that her moods are driven by the different societal norms that she experiences.
Despite moving away from traditional art the young Wale stated that she does not forget her roots or disrespect traditional art. This can be visibly noted on her work, almost every art piece that she does has a Botswana map on it, she always finds a way of adding it to the artwork. She says the map is her signature mark. Wale noted that she has received offers from various people within the creative arts asking her to do some work for them.
“Some have even approached me to work on a comic book, but I turned them down because I like exploring different things. With comic books you stay for a long time working on one project.” One of her notable clients is Thabiso Nasha whom she says she has done some illustrations for before. The artists said that creativity is the key to every artwork, “Creativity should be practiced a lot and be original with your work. It should be able to impress other people”.
She complained that some people can be a problem when it comes to paying up for her work. “I tend to be choosy when it comes to my clients because there are some people that tend to be a problem. This is why I want to start selling my work online,” she said. While her artwork is enterprising, she is currently studying creative multimedia at a local tertiary institution.