Phokoje to host photography exhibition
Alocal poet and a writer, Tshepo Phokoje will have a solo exhibition themed ‘Gratitude’ from February 26-March 31, 2022 at the Nhabe Museum in Maun. The ticket price for the event is P500 per person.
There will be a second session of the exhibition on February 27, 2022, from 9am-11am at the same venue. Ticket price for the latter is P150 per person and after that the event will be open for the public. Phokoje told Arts & Culture in an interview that she is collaborating with other female artists for the shows.
“The poet, the graphic designer, the interior designer, the photographer for the event, the MC the tailor and the caterer are all females,” she revealed. ‘’I am a member of Poetavango, a movement I joined in 2018 after having been introduced to by a fellow poet. I am an aspiring travel-writer’’, said Phokoje. Looking back, Phokoje said the Martial Eagle pictures that she had taken while driving through Makgadikgadi National Park catapulted her passion for photography.
“I became a 1st Runner-up in the BW Photographers awards under the Wildlife category. As a keen traveler, the more places I visited, the more I gravitated towards nature and wildlife photography. I have entered a couple of photography competitions, both in Botswana and internationally though I have not started winning any prizes yet,” she added.
“I am a lover of the Arts and in 2019, a friend saw a picture I had taken of an oncoming rainy storm and as a compliment, he said that I was ready for a camera. He later borrowed me his Canon DSLR camera. I learnt as much as I
could by watching YouTube videos and also enrolled on a six weeks programme that was offered by the American Embassy called America on the Move to learn drawing and painting basics,” she recalled.
She further said even though the wildlife photography field is male-dominated, the latter have been very supportive. Going forward Phokoje said she plans to use photography and her experience as a poet/writer to tell Botswana’s beautiful stories and diverse cultures.
“From our wonderful people, our addictive sunrises and sun sets, our wildlife and great landscapes I want to sell our country and attract tourists from all over the world. I would like to use photography as a tool to teach, to address issues relating to conservation and human/ wildlife conflicts. I hope to use it as a way to teach our children about our animals,” she highlighted. Phokoje, who is based in Maun, also indicated that she would like to use photography to encourage other Batswana to travel and appreciate their own country. “It’s only when we know these basics that we can all know their importance and look after them well.
My biggest wish is to see more women exploring nature and wildlife photography, traveling and finding balance as home makers and being able to experience some adventure as well,” she said. Phokoje added that there are still so many lessons to learn from nature, about photography and to also contribute to the tourism industry.