The exhibition running under the title, ‘Le Kamoso Gape’ which officially opened last Saturday, is a follow-up to Maru-a-Pula School’s 50th-anniversary exhibition held in 2022.
It will end on September 29. Visiting the Thapong Gallery, one would be forgiven for thinking that the exhibition featured renowned professional artists. But the participants just comprise about 25 current Maru-a-Pula students from Forms 1-6, alumni and staff (past and present). It is just a breathtaking scenery that lightens up the gallery in an instant.
The participants covered a wide range of mediums and explored different themes and styles. It truly is a picturesque moment that may have not been seen at the gallery in recent months and seems well-curated. According to Sedireng Mothibatsela, who is the Head of the Department of Art (HOD Art Department) at the school, the exhibition is the second edition of the many that will follow in the tradition of showcasing the visual arts of Maru-a-Pula School. “This idea was born from the 50th Anniversary Art Exhibition, which was held last year, 2022.
The objective of the 50th anniversary exhibition was to highlight the history and legacy of the visual arts of Maru-a-Pula. We believe in collaboration and constantly wish to engage more with our educational partners on best practices in the arts education space,” Mothibatsela said. Mothibatsela said in light of this, the anniversary exhibition prompted the school to reach out to its alumni who are practicing and evolving in creative spaces all over the world. “We also held an ‘art crawl’ which served to closely engage the public with some of our pieces.
Some artwork from the exhibition was hung in public and corporate spaces, thanks to our partners Capital Bank, Africa Lighthouse Capital, Blackthread Capital, Room 50Two, and iTowers. This year the show is off campus at Thapong, further speaking to a desire to collaborate and engage in public discourses. This to us is invaluable for young artists who are refining their articulation,” she explained.
Furthermore, Mothibatsela stated that this year the work pushes the boundaries of materialism, as well as exposing young artists to global approaches to the language of presentation.
Additionally, she said the show highlights a new path in the future of the visual arts in Maru-a-Pula. She also explained that Thapong became an obvious choice to host this exhibition because it offers a unique experience in that it is a repository of history and of contemporary culture. “The Maru-a-Pula Art department has a long-standing relationship with Thapong Visual Arts Centre, particularly through the former Head of the Art department and board member of Thapong Visual Arts Centre, Steve Jobson,” she explained.
Thapong Visual Arts Centre Coordinator, Reginald Bakwena said this is one of the well-curated exhibitions. Bakwena applauded the artists for going all out and exploring different themes, applying different techniques, styles and elements to make it a colourful and thought-provoking display.
“I encourage government schools to also showcase or expose their students’ artworks because they also have the potential. It is good to nurture, test and expose students’ artworks to critique by the public because public opinion is crucial,” he said.
