14 Aug 2018

Mr Mosireletsi  Garebee a 30-year-old residing in Kasane refuses to let his  hearing impairment deter him from using his artistic talent to earn a living.

The Nata-born Mr Garebee said in an interview that he realised he was gifted in art during his primary school days, as he would produce a good piece of artwork with ease each time his class teacher asked them to draw.

He said his talent in art was proven by his junior certificate results in 2006 where he excelled in art although he did not perform well in other subjects.

 The results, he said, gave him hope that he would pursue a career in art.

It was after his secondary studies that he followed his  childhood dream of being an artist. Narrating how it started, Mr Garebee said he would ask for money from his parents to buy paint art book, and he would do a sample of some art work of things he saw in his surroundings and sometimes portraits of some famous and prominent people.

Many people, according to Mr Garebee,  showed interest and complimented his work  something he said inspired him to work more so that he would be a great artist one day.

In May 2017 Mr Garebee benefited through the Youth Development Fund (YDF) and this helped him to buy all the materials he needed to produce art works such as paints, brushes, and boards.

The most challenging issue Mr Garebee is currently facing is lack of market in Nata which led to him to move to Kasane with the target of getting the attention of both local and in international tourists who visit the township.

He said since he moved to Kasane  he sold at least one artwork every day. 

He said thus far the most expensive art work he has ever sold was around P1 200 to a tourist and the cheapest was around P600.

“Art is my life, the air that I breathe and my full time job because I do not work anywhere apart from running my business called Mosi Artworks, “ he said.

Mr Garebee said he aimed to pay back his YDF loan in two or three years so that he could  focus on growing his business as he plans to open an art shop where all his clients could locate him and buy his work.

 He said being mobile could be a challenge because you had to always carry all your work to the mall where he usually displayed his work for people to buy.

This talented artist has urged Batswana to buy locally produced art and desist about the costs of art works, saying customers should understand that art material were expensive. ENDS