Saidoo plans to make it work in arts
Visual art is often times not perceived as a lucrative industry that one could pursue in their lifetime to make ends meet but Phenyo Saidoo is willing to change the narrative.
During an interview with Arts&Culture this week, Saidoo, who uses BareStain Arts as his trade name, stated that because of his burning desire to reach the pinnacle in the art industry, it will contribute immensely to him not to despair from following his talent.
“My art is an inspiration that comes from day-to-day experiences, social issues that affect where I live and these help me in invoking particular feelings. This has been one of the driving forces that keep me going to make it work in this industry,” Saidoo said.
In order to continue moving forward to make it work in the industry, Saidoo stated that he is always trying new avenues that traverse with times so that he fits in the modern market. He said he does this by blending in his craft, which goes from contemporary art. “My art infuses many things; it goes from abstract that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality. It also targets realism and not only that it is achieved with a bit of impressionist and post impressionistic techniques,” he said.
Saidoo, who hails from Lobatse, highlighted that he does not intend to focus on only one type of art but he is willing to be diverse as much as he can so that he thrives but he echoed he would always be drawn to realistic pieces that tell a story more especially with portraits. One of his artworks that sets him apart is the custom hand painted and sown on a T-shirt.
Meanwhile, the 31-year-old echoed that he is willing to make it work because he had to overcome his parents’ wishes as they warned him against pursuing his passion. “My parents had other plans for me because art to them is not really a common career path to take in Botswana so it was hard for them to accept but as time went by, they got to understand my passion and I really have to make it work,” Saidoo stated.
With the challenges he has faced since joining the art industry, he elucidated that he faces similar issues like other artists. “A spike in costs and my artworks not moving as I would like to. One other challenge is making art that makes sense but it is not appreciated as it does not get the respect it deserves just like any other career choice,” explained Saidoo.
Recalling how he unearthed his talent in visual arts, Saidoo said it started only when he was just a small boy. “Art is something I became passionate about and grew to learn as the years went by over the years. It even clicked more for me to pursue art at junior secondary school and was now more invested on it,” he said.
In his future endeavours, he stated that he wishes to have more collaborations, create and host art exhibitions, and learn new skills like the business side of the art.