12 Mar 2014

Thirty-year-old Gosego Motlogelwa, a wood carving artist from Lerala, will on March 18 travel to China to attend a world wood day carving competition show.

Motlogelwa, who is an active member of Thapong Visual Art Centre, said in an interview that he attended the same competition in Tanzania last year. “The only things I need to take with me are my tools and a piece of wood that I will work on,” he said.

He will take ironwood because it is good to work with. He said the competition would also double up as a symposium for wood carvers. “The same people that went to Tanzania are the same people I will meet in China and last year I only got a certificate of participation and this time around I want to do better,” he said.

Motlogelwa said the competition worked in a way that when it commenced, artists were given three days to come up with a piece and after that they make presentations. The competition also acted as a cultural exchange for participants. He started wood carving in Selebi-Phikwe in 2007.

“As for business, yes I sell a few pieces but it is not that much,” he said. “What I have noticed is that the market is there, but people still do not appreciate good art and are not willing to pay for it.” He was planning to hold an exhibition at Thapong Visual Art Centre soon. BOPA