Sketchin’ a future for artists
A DURBAN visual artist is opening doors for the arts community with regular sketching seminars around the city.
Selloane Moeti, 34, and five other artists, started the Sketchin’ – a figure drawing and concept development class – in June that’s held every two months. Tomorrow they will host their fourth event. The sessions usually involve about 40 to 50 sketchers who will draw and interpret a figure, usually a model.
Moeti, a fine arts graduate from the Durban University of Technology, said she started the sessions when she realised there was something missing for upcoming artists in the city.
“It is to get aspiring artists to link up because when you graduate there is no place to go to showcase your work,” she said. “There are few to no support structures and spaces to network… It’s not easy, but it’s very fulfilling,” she said.
Mpeti graduated in 2009. In 2007 she did her first solo exhibition and won the Nivea Arts Award, before being sent to exhibit in Berlin, Germany. She say she was “recognised” but her work had caused her frustration and she turned her back on art before returning this year.
“I stepped away for three years. I want to create so I had to stop with all the frustrations, but since I’m back, it’s been a helluva ride.
“With Sketchin’ everything is promising, I am able to speak through my work. We have had a great response. I want to see people articulate themselves through their work; that is art.
We’ve kept the numbers to 40 to 50 because we want to keep it intimate, we want people to engage and we’ve had great attendances. The first three shows were fully booked,” she said.
In June next year to mark the first anniversary of Sketchin’, she plans to exhibit all the artists’ works and donate the proceeds to charity.
For now Moeti is on a campaign to preach the word of art to young people.
“Anyone can learn. Of course it does come as a talent to some, but you can learn,” she says.
Today Moeti will be part of a panel of youth at an arts and social entrepreneurship conference at the Bat Centre, representing visual artists. Musicians, film directors, poets, activists and choreographers will be on the panel.
“My message there will be to say you can be a visual artist and sustain yourself.
“Sketchin’ is self-funded 100% by the six of us. I have a 9 to 5 job, but I make most of my money from the visual arts. We want people to engage with art… it is not as far-fetched as people think it is.
“There is space for people to know more about the arts,” she said.