A vibrant oil painting inspired by the droughts which have gripped South Africa for some time now, bestowed upon Mothobi Mefane (48) from Bloemfontein the title of Merit Award Winner in 2016’s first Phatshoane Henney New Breed Art Competition.
Mefane explains that the inspiration to create his winning work, “Metsi,” grew from seeing township residents walk for long distances to wait in queues for the drips of water from communal taps. “Yet when there’s no water crisis you often see some of these taps broken, with litres of water gushing from it and filling the streets. This wastage is depressing and frightening to watch, which is why 'Metsi' serves as a call for us to not waste so much water.”
Mefane has shown immense perseverance in chasing his dream of being a full time artist. Having developed his love for art from as early as primary school, he wanted to study the dramatic arts after matric, but was however dissuaded by his father whom Mefane says believed that becoming a teacher or a policeman was a better career choice.
After doing various different jobs, his longest and most recent stint was as clerk in the Department of Social Development for over 15 years. The calling to practise art however kept him perpetually restless, which is why he resigned in 2011 to devote his time to painting on velvet fabric and going from door to door to sell his paintings in the township.
He has since participated in group exhibitions in the Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival and the Grahamstown Arts Festival, and is now working hard towards completing of his studies in Visual Arts and Design student at Motheo TVET College in Bloemfontein.
Winning one of the Merit Awards in the New Breed Art Competition, he describes as “mind blowing” in the way it boost his confidence as an artist and inspired him to create more work. In fact, as we speak he is busy producing a sizable collection of paintings with water as the main theme. “What may follow could be an exhibition of these works,” he reveals, In the meantime he remains committed to earning his bread and butter by selling his art in the townships, as well as creating portrait pieces on order.
“While I like painting everything really, from portraits to landscapes and so on, I especially love work which portrays some message - the kind you could describe as a social commentary. This is how I express my feelings and views about things which are happening. Like musicians who write songs about what they feel and experience, my vehicle of expression is painting.”
Click here to visit his full profile and for more information on his winning entry.