Two local visual artists, Prince Tom and Ronald Kegomoditswe have teamed up to host an exhibition to celebrate the former's late mother's birthday.
The event titled 'Ke Dinaledi Art Exhibition' which is staged in collaboration with Masa Protea Hotel and RDC Property group, will be held on June 9, 2022 at the Masa Protea the hotel.
Price Tom explained to Arts & Culture that the exhibition will be more of an experience of limited canvas paintings by the two artists, with each artist creating 10 masterpieces on canvas and body art.
He also said there will be a cash bar and food sold during the event. He further explained that initially, the exhibition was to be a solo exhibition but as time went on, he decided to feature his friend, Ronald. “This exhibition was scheduled for the month of June because my late mother’s birthday is on June 12, 2023 and by now everyone knows that my art and everything I do in the creative world, always has to do with my mother, as she was the one who introduced me to the creative world when I was about six-years-old," Prince Tom said.
He said his mother helped him win his first ever art accolades when he was 13-years-old. "But now she is no more in this physical world. I decided to do another exhibition which is an ode to her but now featuring someone who played a vital role in my art career, and that is Ronald,” he said. Furthermore, he explained that together with Ronald, they have shared the same palette for eight years now adding that Ronald was the one who welcomed him to the professional art scene when he was fresh from high school and they have been painting together ever since. Prince Tom added that they held their first ever exhibition back in 2016, titled ‘The Life of An Artist Exhibition’ and the other one in 2017 titled ‘The Best In US’ to mention but a few. In addition, he stated that ‘Ke Dinaledi’ is a continuation of their journey from ‘The Life of An Artist’. He added that the exhibition had to say more about how people view them and also how they aspire to be.
He further said every child aspired to be a star or at least to reach the heights of the stars. He also explained that the relationship he had with his mother was strong as she had always seen the star in him. She said her elder sister is called Naledi (star), hence the show ‘Ke Dinaledi’. . “The only person who owns more Prince Tom art collection in the entire world is Naledi. I love the stars and go out every night to gaze at them. The stars really mean a lot to me and whenever I look in the mirror, I see a star.
The exhibition is going to be in the open and at night so people could marvel at the beauty of the night sky. The dress code is ‘creative expression’ which gives everyone a chance to express themselves and let how they feel determine what they want to wear. We want everyone to feel as much comfortable as possible so that when they interact with our artworks, they feel whole and appreciate what it’s like for one to express themselves,” he said. Prince Tom also said people should expect to have a great experience. Even though he could not reveal much since he did not want to spoil the fun, he said one should be prepared for a night of art, fashion, food, wine and good music.
He added that people would get to experience the effect of two powerful forces that have been working together for almost a decade and feel free to mingle and interact with them. “We have also decided to make it a free show, so as to allow people a chance to experience us before we go international. This is us taking art to the people. We have a lot of fan base that usually do not afford to pay the entry fee to our shows but this time, we have given everyone a chance into our world. This is to help inspire the next kid so they come see that really it is all possible. “From here we are going international. God’s grace is with us and through Him all is possible.
This is us preparing to aim and shoot for the stars hence our title, ’Ke Dinaledi.’ I hope my mother’s spirit is rejoicing and very proud of me,” he stated.