Such is his deep passion for art, Thabiso Ernest Setlhabi might as well have been born clutching a paintbrush in his hand!
Certainly, the Thamaga creative believes he came into this world with art already steeped deep in his bones.
Now 28, Setlhabi has spent much of his life honing his talent, to the point where he’s now able to make money from his work.
In fact, the self-taught fine artist has been mixing business with pleasure since 2019, when he first started selling his pieces for financial gain – pieces which range from: canvas paintings, pencil drawings, leather art, sculptures and clothes customization.
Speaking to Voice Money, the 2020 Thapong Visual Arts ‘Young Artist of the Year’ explains he’s living the life he was born to lead.
“First of all I believe passion is purpose; I was born with my talent for many reasons. Passion is a complimentary trait to oneself; lack of passion makes a person incomplete. Art brings happiness to me!”
On average, Setlhabi’s artworks typically fetch between P1, 000 – P2, 000 per piece, with the artist predominantly working on a to-order basis.
“I only do many pieces when making a collection for an exhibition or if I just want to express myself!” he adds.
The knowledgeable, inquisitive youth finds inspiration all around him; in his everyday coming-and-goings, the books he reads, the movies he watches, politics, culture and world news – all act as stimulation for new ideas.
“Art is a subject of creation and innovation. There are limitless possibilities to what art or an artist can bring to life to affect either the artist or the world. At a young age, watching and reading about other artists that made a permanent mark on the face of the earth also played a big role to inspire me to focus on art with the dream and hopes of making at least a scratch in this lifetime with my story,” continues Setlhabi, who mentions Botswana’s very own, Wilson Ngoni and French impressionism painter, Claude Monet, as two such icons who have left a lasting legacy.
When coming up with a new collection, the art fanatic considers three key factors: the story he wants to tell, the message and finally its impact on the audience.
With a target market that range from individuals, to corporates and even government, Setlhabi markets his work at art shows and exhibitions, the latest being at Makgadikgadi Epic back in July.
He also uses his Facebook page, which currently boasts 4, 400 followers, to profile his prowess.
“The support has been amazing, from family, friends, general population and galleries. The support from the government has been insufficient but hopefully with the new administration things will be better. Overall, the market is fluctuating when it comes to sales,” he admits, ruefully adding a lack of platforms to showcase their wares and reach potential clients is a struggle the entire local art community face.
Not one to sit back and wait for fate to hand him opportunities, the driven youth has even resorted to hosting his own shows, successfully organising the Letsema Exhibition at Molapo Crossing last October.
Encouraged by this success, he is hard at work planning a ‘New Dawn Solo’ art exhibition for February at a venue still to be confimred.
Setlhabi also cites the unavailability of new media to experiment with locally as another significant setback.
For an artist who thrives on the experimental, it is a frustrating restriction.
“As an experimental artist, researching about the media [surface] is important; to understand its quality and behavior to different conditions exposed to. For example, how to properly process different types of leather to ensure quality, durability and beauty, how the leather reacts to heat and humid conditions? Ensure no bad odour and pest repellents. Taking time with the end product to watch its behaviour and how it can be improved before selling. Staying connected with current affairs and human behavior in both the physical world and digital world, and research helps to understand my audience and people in general and how to cater for them.”
Despite this, the big-dreaming artist has huge plans for the future, starting with his solo exhibition early next year.
Ending with a word of encouragement for aspiring artists looking to follow in his footsteps, the well-spoken youth says, “Understand the passion, can it be done full time or part time. Do research more about the art world to learn and prepare yourself. Work hard and create opportunities for your art.”
