18 Jan 2016

With her younger sister well perched within the creative industry and drumming her way into our hearts with Skinflint, it is no surprise that Rosy Sabrana-Dichi also seems to have art flowing through her veins.

Born 32 years ago in Lobatse, Rosy says she is a visual artist and enjoys creating abstract art as well as interactive installations.

“My creativity is usually inspired by my surroundings and experiences, and these include travelling, seeing new places, walking through nature, meeting different people and artists,” she said, adding that she loves creating compositions that combine the beauty of nature and the universe with the simplicity of life in all its forms.

Speaking on the art scene in Botswana, Rosy said it is constantly growing and for the past three years she has seen a huge shift in the art industry.

“Artists have been working harder and striving to develop successful careers and the challenges we face as female artists are surprisingly not many,” said Rosy.

“I personally do not think that gender has anything to do with the success of an artist and we have quite a few female artists in Botswana that have accomplished international recognition by simply working hard and believing in themselves,” she added.

Rosy said being an artist alone takes courage as one often gets disappointed when artworks are not bought or when an artist’s ideas are rejected.

“Like Matisse once said, creativity takes courage, this should not stop us from continuing to pursue our dreams,” she said, indicating that female artists are starting to participate more in competitions such as Thapong Artist of the Year Award (TAYA) and the Barclays Atelier where a number of them took home a few prizes last year.

“2016 might just be the year for women to flourish in the creative industry,” she added.

On being asked about her Lora Arts organization, Rosy said the initiative supports creativity through the use of technology and plans for this year are to try and participate in Botswana’s 50th Independence celebrations by proposing creative projects that will embrace Botswana’s history and heritage.

“We would definitely like to be part of this big event and we are currently thinking of ways we can join in on the festivities by combining art with technology,” said Rosy.

She said her organization will continue to support local artists by publishing their portfolios online and they would also like to host another online competition like the expression contest that was a huge success in 2014, but it is challenging seeking sponsors and appropriate support.

Further speaking on art in Botswana, Rosy said in order for art to become relevant and important, Batswana need to stop saying no to projects that are different.

“We need to create opportunities that will allow for change, and most of all encourage the use of technology. This is what the rest of the world is doing! We hear of electronic expos, video festivals, art fairs, digital exhibitions, public installations, interactive environments and much more happening in country’s around us, and yet we still continue to live in this safe little African bubble where most of the artworks we see are realistic representations of wild animals or our beautiful landscapes,” said Rosy, adding that she understands that artists need to make a living and most of their clients are tourists, that often prefer to purchase artworks that will remind them of their travels, but still artists need to change the habit of finding the same typical “African” artwork at most of our local galleries.

“I am not saying that African themed art does not require hard work and dedication, however I believe that we do not have to limit ourselves. We need to think outside of the box,” she said. Ends