The Okavango Delta through the lens
With COVID- 19 having contained even some of the world’s avid travelers Photo Journalist, Pako Lesejane felt the pinch of containing himself and deeply missed the outdoors, but more specially the bush life. He recently took a shot left to the heart of the Okavango Delta, where he holidayed in the lap of luxury. A 25- minute flight from Maun took him to the banks of the Khwai River on the Xakanaxa Lagoon right in Moremi Game Reserve to Camp Xakanaxa, a tented camp. For the next couple of days, he had a chance to unwind, and enjoy nature in a serene camp, which is amongst the leading 4- star camps in Botswana operated by Desert Safaris. Travel with him through his photographic journey into the wilderness of the Okavango Delta.
Uhuru Kgope is art. He lives and breathes art. The soft spoken individual and a Metsimotlhabe native has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the visual arts.
Ready and willing to share pockets of knowledge, and technique with those who are interested, a chat with the Gaborone Senior Secondary Art teacher is a thrilling journey.
Something that sets him apart from some of his colleagues is how he lets his work do all the talking for him.
This week, BG Style had a chat with him and peeked into his work.
An artist extraordinaire who is not in haste to complete a piece of work. His is a labour of love; he takes all the time in the world to create something that leaves one unbelievable mesmerized. One can distinctively tell his passion oozing and flowing through his many works. A 1.5m by 1.5m elaborate and intricate piece of work is his latest work that welcomes you his workstation.
The piece is untitled, but it has this thing that draws you in. Exploding with fluorescent and bright colours, all the details in the piece are intricately visible. No detail has been left out in the portrait. Each and every little piece of the portrait is crystal clear, well defined features of the mouth, the forehead, and the eyes stand out, and are breathtakingly striking. He has another piece which is 3m, and has been reserved for a client. The piece is what he calls Semi- Abstract. And in his own words, it is more than just a face.
The portrait of a Ghanian boy, is based on a picture that he got from a German/ Ghana photographer he met during a residency in Cape Town. It shows off his skills in Stencils, something that he has been doing passionately since 2011. Kgope is not one to go for the ordinary, and easy art disciplines. He goes for something that challenges him. He started work on this piece during lockdown, and is nowhere finished. It takes time to breathe life into his
works, he says.
“It is a labour- intensive process,” he explains, adding that it takes passion to embark on this journey.
Kgope explains that this type of art discipline takes time, and that one needs to have passion for it. “I wanted something that is challenging and difficult. I didn’t want to embark on something that is easy,” he says.
Sharing the creative process of transforming the portrait, he explains that he started by drawing all the defining features of this work of art. Kgope has a strong background in drawing, and it is that background that gives life to his many pieces. Drawing is a very big part of Stencils Art. He toys, adjusts and use different tricks to bring various features of the portrait to life, and makes sure everything remains the same. It is remarkable to hear how he had to adjust some colour, and make sure that the colours don’t overshadow any finer detail in the picture. His Stencils art are found objects that range from air filters ( for trucks), to braai stand ( modified), as well as metal spoons also modified. He has previously used perforated paper, and he is always discovering new things that can take his work to the next level. One of the challenges that he comes across is the fact that it is not easy to find fluorescent sprays locally as he sources them outside the country. His work is inspired by pop artists such as