11 Feb 2015

An increased number of women participants in last year’s Thapong Artist of The Year Award (TAYA) competition has been hailed as a step in the right direction.

Even though the number of participants was a little over 10, it was evident enough that women were showing interest in showcasing their talents in visual art.

Over the years, it had shown quite a small number of women in visual arts in Botswana, as most preferred poetry, dance and fashion designing, despite that they were very talented women out there when it came to visual art.

One such lady is thirty-two year old Mamello Sago of Ramotswa, a very keen photographer who seems to be heading in the right direction when it comes to her art.

“I am not only a photographer, but I also enjoy the spoken word,” said the young lady, adding that art for her is more of therapy and helps her stay in tune with the real world.

Talking about how she got introduced to visual art and poetry, Mamello said she developed an interest in photography during her first year (2001) as a freshman at a Technikon in South Africa as it was an introductory subject on her first year.

“Unfortunately, back then I could not invest in my own camera because my mother, who was sponsoring me could not afford it. But, I had great Batswana friends who were also my schoolmates and they helped me complete my practical assignments and exams with theirs,” she said.

She said it was only in early 2009, that she finally managed to get herself a camera, a Sony A200 camera, which she used to experiment on different styles and types of photography.

“It was then that I realised that I could make a living for myself taking photographs,” said Mamello, adding that it was in 2009 that she got her first paycheck.

“I got P500 for my troubles as I did not know how much to charge since I was just an amateur, but it sure felt good to get paid to do what I love,” she said.

On her love for poetry, Mamello said she developed interest in it whilst studying in South Africa doing her Form 3 (1998) and was introduced to it by her then teacher.

“We were asked to write a poem about a mother who had dumped her baby at a dumping site only for dogs to devour that baby,” she said, indicating that her teacher was so impressed with her writing skills that she started mentoring her unique writing skills.

She further said she stopped writing the following year only to start again in 2007, when she was experiencing trying times in her life.

“I experienced so much turbulence in my life, which led me back to writing as a way of releasing my pain, depression and unhappiness. 

I could write what I felt at the core of my soul without being judged for it and that helped me get control of a lot of things,” she said.

“It was the paper, the ink and my thoughts that were laid down bare to illustrate the inner heartfelt things in my life,” she chipped in.
Speaking on women in visual art in Botswana, Mamello said to a degree not enough was being done to encourage women who have the talent in visual art to come out and showcase their talent.

“There is a lot of untapped, undiscovered talent out there and to a certain degree the reward is not there for women. 

We have to rise and feed families hence we find it very challenging to even do visual art full time,” she said.

She said obviously there was a gap that needed to be filled and this could be done by catering for the needs of women.

“Women need to undergo training, mentoring and workshops, but these happen during weekdays which most of the time put us at a disadvantage. 

We need to be shown the ropes on what it means to be an artist,” said Mamello.

She said women need collaborative projects with more established artists as this would breed interaction and a share of creative ideas. “With regards to me, my greatest challenge is that I have an 8-5 job and most of the time I am doing that while other part of my life and art suffers, she said. 

She noted that lack of technical equipment and money for transport also affects her art.

On being quizzed on some of the initiatives put forward by President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama such as the President’s Day Celebration Competitions, Mamello said it was a very good initiative.

“I entered the competition two years ago, but failed to make it to the second round in the poetry category.  I missed some other competitions because I was not aware of them and I also did not have money for transport or the fees that sometimes one has to pay,” she said.

She added that this year she would be coming out full force and entering every competition available. She said Batswana need to turn themselves into an art loving nation, adding that education on art appreciation needs to be intensified nationwide.

“It is very disappointing that most of the time our artists have to make it overseas first and only then they are appreciated locally,” she said. Botswana needs to benchmark with other countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, USA and European countries which have heavily invested in their own artists and have conducive artistic environment.

“Batswana need to invest in us, appreciate what we do and demand quality every time from us and we will not disappoint them,” she said.

One can only wish that more women who have the talent in visual art can be brave enough to share their talent with the world. Art is a reflection of our times, challenges, struggles and successes. ENDS