VISUALLY IMPAIRED CREATIVE TAKES ARTIST WORLD BY STORM
He says he will not allow disability to limit him
Thabo Baseki is a visually impaired youth who has not allowed his disability to limit his potential. The 25-yearold, holds a Bachelor degree in Community Development from the Institute of Development Management, and is also an impressive creative.
Baseki makes different artistic objects such as portable book stands, jewellery and decorative objects. Baseki explained that he fell in love with art in secondary school. “I took Art and Design as an optional subject and realised that despite my limitations, I can make the most of my artistic talent. I am grateful to my former art teacher, Mrs. Kwati, for helping me to develop a strong affection for art,” he said. He noted that while his art business is picking up slowly, he does face a few challenges. “The person who assists me, Leatile Barileng, is a student, which means that she is unavailable when schools are opened. I sometimes ask for help from friends, but sometimes they have their own commitments and cannot help me. Space is another recurring challenge because I currently operate from my bedroom. I wish I could get assistance with a working space and material for my products. This would also allow me to employ other young people rather than relying on volunteers. I would like to contribute to reducing unemployment.”
Baseki has also written a book titled, Light in a Dark World, which documents his experiences of being born visually impaired and accepting living with disability. He is also the producer of a video series titled Thusa Motlhokapono, which he worked on with the assistance of Mr. Gaopalelwe and Mr. Motebele from Animax Media. “The essence of the video is to educated the sighted community on how they can assist the visually impaired,” he said. Baseki said his disability is will not limit me from exercising his hobbies. “I take delight in reading, writing, listening to music, playing video games, exploring technology – I have a qualification in Job Access with Speech, (a computer course for the visually impaired) and doing artwork. I am also a keen public speaker and like to motivate others.”