B
otswana-born artist, Kabelo Kim
workshop held at the Gobabeb Research
Modise was always going to be
Centre in the Namib Desert - this
an artist. Even as a pre-teen, he was
international artists’ workshop was for an
wielding a pencil with the skill of a
intense two weeks, the outcome of which
master. He studied Design & Technology
was a group exhibition at the NAGN.
and Art at school, before heading for
Kabelo’s next exhibition was the
the University of Namibia to make his
‘Contour Bottle Exhibition’, officially
mark on the Visual Arts course. Literally.
opened in conjunction with the Jo’burg
His experience there included two and
Art week of the Jo’burg Art Fair, held at
three-dimensional design, and he began
the Museum of African Design (MOAD)
to experiment with lino-cuts as an art
in Maboneng, Johannesburg – which will
form... and he’d found his niche.
move on to the Coca Cola Premises this
Kabelo’s style is quite unique, as he
month. He was also part of a printing
bases his art on line and rhythm. The
group exhibition entitled ‘Fragments
movement in his pictures is deliberate,
and Fusion’, spearheaded by a residency
and there’s little doubt, the longer you
artist from Germany, Sandra Schmidt, and
look at the ‘drapery’ created by his lines,
officially opened recently at the Franco
the more the picture alters.
Namibian Cultural Centre in Windhoek.
Kabelo has been exhibiting his work since he was 21 – his first solo exhibition
Flamingo asked Kabelo
was in his birth town of Francistown -
about this latest body of work:
and he’s held exhibitions almost every
“As I work a lot with contour lines,
year since then. Last year, he held three
the Coca Cola Contour Bottle was the
exhibitions at the National Art Gallery
perfect focus to venture into and take
(NAGM)
Windhoek,
it to the next level. The only difference
and this year, he’s had a two-month
here was the popular culture behind
exhibition at the Casa Labia Gallery in
the contour bottle - what a privilege
Cape Town, South Africa, with a second
to explore this culture in line with my
exhibition, which ran in both Namibia
signature style of creating drapery in all
and South Africa. He was also a participant
my artwork. Part of my inspiration is my
in the Tulipamwe International Artists
belief in something which repeats itself
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of
Namibia
in