27 Mar 2014

For the better part of his life, Jan Tcega has been struggling to make ends meet as a mechanic in the small settlement of D’Kar.

A father of four, Jan says it was difficult to provide for his family as he did not make much from his chosen profession as a mechanic. But his life changed in 2005 when he joined the Kuru Art project and received some training in painting.

He never looked back, and today he is able to support his family with the money makes as a visual artist. Born 46 years ago in D’Kar, Jan is a dedicated artist who enjoys printmaking.

He draws his inspiration form nature. Because of his dedication and love for art, he recently returned from an exhibition in !Khwa ttu San Cultural and Educational Centre in the Western Cape, South Africa.

For the slightly grey haired Jan, the visit to !Khwa ttu was and exciting and inspiring experience that he will treasure for the rest of his life. “It was a life changing experience because it was my first external exhibition. I gained invaluable knowledge and skills from fellow San in !Khwa ttu,” beams Jan about his trip to the Western Cape.

Along with other artists from the Kuru Arts project, Jan took along three of his memorable sentimental pieces to showcase in !Khwa ttu. One such piece was “First Hunters” which depicts the story of the old folk culture among the San.

He explains with a wide smile that the “First Hunters” which is a painting of a leopard, was inspired by his grandmother. Jan explains that his grandmother used to tell him that in the olden days a leopard was meant for old folks’ meat, unlike nowadays where people are afraid of this big cat.

While in !Khwa ttu, Jan says he learnt more about his descendants and his history as a San. Jan also says he was impressed with the way the San in !Khwa ttu use their culture to make a living out of art.

“I will surely apply the knowledge and skills that I acquired from South Africa to enhance my art,” he says. Although he is able to sustain his family through art, Jan is worried that he still faces a challenge of marketing his artwork.

He believes government can intervene and assist them to access lucrative markets outside the country. He says the market for most San art is in Europe, the United States and South Africa. He further explains that this is because San art is contemporary and therefore less appealing to Batswana who are more conversant in modern art.

“Contemporary art is mostly admired by white communities. Right now the market for art in Botswana is at its lowest because we still don’t appreciate art even though it’s taught from lower primary school,” he says.

Nevertheless, Jan believes Batswana will get to appreciate art over time. At the moment, Jan is busy preparing for an exhibition in Switzerland which is scheduled for November.

He says he will exhibit a mixture of black and white as well as color paintings in Switzerland, inspired by the concept of “Dreaming” or “Sonkuri” in Naro. Ends