While Mogapaesi, otherwise known as ‘King Fox’, carved his name as a brilliant photojournalist in the early 2000s, switching to fine art was never a struggle for him.
He had been accustomed to ‘drawing with light’ as a photographer for more than a decade, but he says when the time came to drop his camera for a brush, it was easy.
Mogapaesi, as he is known to most of his peers, says his time as a photojournalist prepared him for the journey. After all, he believes that photography and fine art are all visual arts as such they complement each other. Having trained in Graphic Design and Digital Photography at Ducatic Computer School and Kodak Institute of Professional Photography respectively, Mogapaesi, who is a father of two, says he worked as a freelance photojournalist for some local newspapers before he joined The Voice newspaper in 2003. Later in the same year, he would move to The Botswana Guardian and The Midweek Sun. The Mochudi native said he also worked as a freelance photojournalist for Mokgosi and Global Post newspapers as well as Xinhua News Agency. He says as a photojournalist, he won awards such as the MISA Botswana Photographer of the Year award in 2003. He states that his decision to move to visual arts was influenced by passion and his educational background as well.
Mogapaesi added that he has always been fond of still and motion pictures, graphics, arts and culture, and fine arts from a young age. “In 2010, I decided that it was time I ventured into fine arts. It had been years doing photography and I felt it was the right time to switch. I have always been ready to take this journey as a visual artist, which is about spending long hours creating commissioned high-quality artwork for my clients. Photography has opened doors for me. I travelled and I met important people in my life through photography,” ‘King Fox’ said. Mogapaesi said although business is a bit slow, visual art has given him the peace he yearned for and believes there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“The going is slow but I have done some commissions and managed to sell some artworks. Visual artists in Botswana are not taken seriously; artists need some support to be able to do successful arts projects,” he added. He said his work entails providing creative visual solutions for both businesses and individuals. “Services include Contemporary Art, Mural Paintings, Fabric Art, Wildlife, Portraiture, Drawing, Digital Art, Screen Printing, Embroidery Services, Outdoor Advertising, Graphic Print Design and Fine Art.” Furthermore, he said he intends to start a Fabric Art Clothing label in order to diversify his work and income streams.
