Award winning photographer publishes book on Maun

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Friday May 17, 2013 00:00

Images from book are currently on exhibit at the Nhabe Museum. The exhibition, which started May 7 and ends June 4, 2013, features the photographer alongside painter Roger Brown and porter Ompatile Sebuelo. The trio's exhibition will then move to Thapong Visual Arts Centre in Gaborone from June 11 to July 5.  In August last year, the photographer won an international award with environmental portraits contained in the newly launched book.

The associate member of the Royal Photographic Society in Britain writes in the foreword of the book, 'living in Maun, we pass all too often the captivating images of everyday people going about their daily lives. As we pass, the images blur to become a simple familiar backdrop. However, one should take the time to stop and meet people contained within this anonymous backcloth and appreciate our wonderfully assorted and complex society.'

One of the pictures in the book is that of Lona Kakurura, a 24-year mother of three who died shortly after the picture was taken.  According to Arnold, the proceeds of the sale of this picture will be used to take care of Kakurura's family. Arnold however reveals that his intention is not to focus on the poor, the needy or to criticise any subjects of his photography but merely to reveal people as he finds them and how they want to be photographed. Mankgodi-born Sebuelo is famous for working exclusively with clay collected from his home village.

'I make a series of different traditional craft shapes out of clay using coiling, then shape and join them to build different shapes,' he says in his profile.

Sebuelo who won second prize at the 2012 Presidential Awards in pottery and another second prize in the Thapong Artists of the Year Awards, says he strives to transform traditional art while making sure it retains its originality.Brown exhibits paintings mainly painted out of the picturesque Maun landscape.  Growing up in Zimbabwe, South Africa and having lived in Botswana for the past 13 years, the 27-year-old painter says this is how he developed the love and appreciation for nature, which is more dominant in his art. Brown has already gained recognition as the best upcoming artist in the 2010 and 2011 Presidential competitions.