If his breathtaking artworks posted on his Facebook page are anything to go by, the young man is serious business and ready to stake a claim in the industry.
Already, the young creative has set himself a challenge dubbed, The 366 days Art Challenge, meant for personal growth as he works his way to carve a name for himself and become a successful artist and teacher. In an interview with Arts&Culture, the youngster displayed a high level of confidence about his ambition to attain greatness.
Perhaps his confidence in his talent could be mistaken for cockiness, but he says it is just a burning desire to become someone who will be remembered for making an impact with something he loves dearly. He says growing up as a smart kid in Mathangwane, a village just less than 30km away from Francistown, he always knew what he wanted to be; which is an artist. However, being born in a poor environment would always pose a challenge as parents have high expectations about their children. They want their children to become doctors or bankers or engineers, to name but just a few.
However, pushed by his passion, the youngster would not have any of it and decided to disobey his parents’ word as he followed what his heart yearned for, which is being a professional artist. He said that dream would eventually manifest into reality when he enrolled for a Bachelor of Education Art and Design at the University of Botswana. “You see, I love art and I’m also passionate about teaching which is a plus for me because I want to do what I love and impart that knowledge to others as well. During my JC, I was a top student and excelled in all subjects. But I had to defy my parents who felt that I was wasting my time and did Art.
I can’t blame the parents for thinking that way because art in Botswana is still considered a hobby. That is what moves me; to prove them wrong,” he said. Palalani's persistence is finally paying off as he is now getting gigs to do commissioned work. The third-year student said while he is already getting recognition following a contact by a South African magazine for an interview after being impressed by his work, there is still more to come from him. “It is just getting started. Let’s just say I am just finding myself. There is more to come from me. I want to grow myself to become the next Picasso (referring to the famous Spanish painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramicist, and theatre designer).
I also want to reach the international audience to a point that my name and my work will be recognised everywhere,” he added. He describes himself as an all-around artist who knows no limits. Palalani said while he prefers to do scribbling art technique, he is also good with other mediums such as painting, which is important because he is training to be a teacher. He explained that his 366 days Art Challenge is aimed at personal growth, especially towards improving his artistic skills and widening his reach. Palalani also said he is excited that he is one of the few local artists who have boldly chosen to do the scribbling technique by pen as their form of art.
Scribbling art technique is a form of art whereby you do shading employing a network of random, multi-directional lines. It is considered a fun way to create gradients and shadows on an object. He says this is one of the hardest mediums, but he finds it fun. “I just do sketches to capture people’s emotions and not their real portraits. It may look easy but it is very difficult but I have mastered it. Most artists prefer realism but I wanted to do the hardest medium, something challenging,” he said.
