Kgope has mounted an exhibition alongside top Zimbabwean artist, Batsirai Muskwe, which opened last week Thursday. Whilst he is not a fan of local exhibitions, Uhuru, as he is commonly known, says this is the opportunity to share knowledge with young local artists about international art. In an interview with Arts&Culture, the seasoned visual artist stated that art exhibitions in Botswana have lost their meaning. He said lately, he has always been dismayed by what the exhibitions have turned into locally. “I have been absent from the art exhibitions in Botswana.
Art exhibition in Botswana is different and it is not popular. So there is no need for me to exhibit regularly,” Kgope said. Kgope, who is also an Art teacher, stated that the motivation to mount this exhibition came from the desire to inspire upcoming artists. “The reason why I have decided to exhibit is because I wanted to share with people the artworks that are at the international level because my artworks are of international level,” Kgope said. Kgope further stated that coming out of this hiatus was necessitated by the opportunity to share the space with another experienced creative, Muskwe.
The two held two series of events at Thapong Visual Arts Centre dubbed the Art Talk and Art Exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday respectively last week. “I was approached by Thapong Visual Arts Centre and Muskwe. And one of the reasons I took part in the exhibitions is because I know him and he has been here for two months on an exchange programme. "Because I know his work, I did not hesitate to work with him,” he said. As exhibitions are mostly for lobbying business, Kgope indicated that this is also not his preference as he prefers to get in touch with his customers when they reach out. “I prefer to deal directly with people who know my work so that I can answer any questions they have, and they get it at the right price,” he said. Just like Muskwe, he implored local visual artists to try and penetrate the international market and exhibit internationally.
“When you are in the early years of your career, you need to understand the market first and once you have done that you can now take your art internationally and exhibit there. Remember, it is not easy to exhibit internationally; you have to put in the work,” he said. In terms of his area of expertise, he said it is in visual arts. He is besotted with conceptual art that speaks to what people go through in their everyday challenges. Meanwhile, he advised the younger generation to always aim for the stars and resurrect the art industry in Botswana to where it was in the early 2000s.
