24 Sep 2017

Professor Thapelo Otlogetswe says Tlhalefang Charles’s photography exhibition is an opportunity for Batswana to celebrate his photographic achievements and acknowledge him as a national trailblazer in his field.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at Charles’ Maruapula photography exhibition held at Thapong Visual Arts Centre recently, Prof. Otlogetswe said he was delighted that Tlhalefang had christened his first photographic exhibition Maruapula because it signals the coming of good things.

He said the word photography is of great etymology meaning as it is made up of two parts.  

“The word photo- means light and - graphy implies that one is drawing, painting or writing. So when Charles does his photography, he is painting, drawing or writing with light. He leaves captivating marks in print for our eyes to enjoy. He turns what is usually the mundane into the extraordinary and for this he deserves our utmost recognition,” he said.

Prof. Otlogetswe further said Tlhalefang was a widely travelled man, both nationally and internationally, and emerges from a rich history of Matsieng, whose footprint is permanently imprinted on the rocks of the land of Mokwena Kgosi/Kgosi Mochudi; those footprints on the rocks are an enduring testament that on this land lived giants whose heads reached Maruapula.

He said while the San used stones to carve out memorable images on rocks, Tlhalefang used his canon camera and lens to shine a spotlight on the beautiful landscape and that shall become a reference point for generations to come.

For his part, Thapong Visual Arts Centre coordinator, Reginald Bakwena said the centre was there to support the visual arts community and that was why Tlhalefang was able to approach them and was given an opportunity to showcase his work.

“We are intending on showing different disciplines of the arts amongst them photography, painting, sculpture and all the other related art forms,” he said.

Bakwena said they liked Tlhalefang’s concept of rain clouds because rain clouds were a significant meaning in the Setswana culture.

“Around this time, we are expecting rains and his concept spoke to us,” he said, further adding that most times artists lost focus on what they did because they failed to develop their concepts.

He said this year, Thapong emphasised a lot on developing concepts.

“As an artist, you have to show your story from introduction, to body and finally conclusion, so that people can understand your art and processes of how you got to where you are,” he said.

Bakwena said ‘Charles is a dedicated artist in terms of photography and we need to encourage such people.’

“Our aim as Thapong is to encourage such artists and it is high time that we help these artists develop strategies that would in turn help them financially hence contributing significantly to the economy,” he said.

Bakwena said the arts should be used to build the economy and lobbyists should assist in drumming up support for this sector.

“We need to show the growth of the arts and have platforms like Thapong all over the country to help in incubating artists all over the country,” said Bakwena.

Speaking on some of the things that inspired his Maruapula photography exhibition, Charles said he chose the concept because he is a Motswana and he grew up in the village where he used to play pula nkgodisa under moroto wa letsatsi.

“From a young age, I had to know which side the clouds were coming from because if the dark clouds were rising from mogatsapoo (south west of Serowe), I had to run home because that would be pula ya matlakadibe and that meant trouble." ENDS