The best of Five to be on display
After almost a year’s hiatus, a group of five artists have come together for a collaborative exhibition dubbed Signature.
Slated for April 24-May 6th the exhibition will be held at the Thapong Virtual Arts Centre gallery.
The artists showcasing a minimum of 10 pieces each will be Totang Motoloki, Loretta Mekgwe, kukieMokgosi, Tshidiso Kedumetse and Mpho Kgopiso.
Whilst physical exhibitions have generally been scarce as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions that come with it, the signature exhibition will mark one of the few physical art exhibitions since last year.
There will be limited people allowed inside the gallery at every given point to allow for Covid-19 protocols observation.
In an interview with Voice Entertainment Thabo Kgatlhwane said as much as physical exhibitions have remained the hardest hit, something a little less physically engaging can still be done.
“We will be having an Exclusive viewing for 40 invited guests two hours before it is officially opened for the public. Each artist is bringing eight to 10 pieces which will be on sale until the last day of the exhibition,” Kgatlhwane explained.
“The idea behind the signature exhibition is that each artist brings a bit of themselves to the exhibition. They should put a bit of themselves into each piece,” Kgatlhwane noted.
Meanwhile, the man who walked away with the second-best Thapong Virtual Artist of the Year award (TAYA) last year, Tlotlang Motoloki highlighted the importance of collaboration between newbies and more established artists.
“ There will be five of us during the exhibition. Initially, I was to do it alone but I thought it would be more beneficial if we all collaborated because it is no secret that Covid-19 has negatively affected the normal way of hosting an exhibition, which was one of the major ways in which we made money,” Motoloki explained.
The TAYA award winner said his pieces would centre on reconstructing the reality of townships.
“My artworks to b displayed are mostly about townships. You see I grew up in the village so townships remind me of my background and childhood. I used pieces of metal to construct the huts and recreate the townships’ feel,” he said.
Asked why to name the exhibition ‘signature’ Motoloki said, “I believe every artist should have their own signature in that even without being told that a certain artwork belongs to me one should be able to pick that this artwork or this signature belongs to me. Basically, that’s how the whole idea came about.”
Thapong Virtual Arts Centre has recently launched its Sponsor An Artist campaign and continues appealing to members of the public to assist where they can.