It’s a common occurrence to find local fine artists waiting for annual competitions or taking to the streets to seek acknowledgement for their talents.
But for others, social networks prove to be an ideal platform to have their works noticed. One such a talent is upcoming artist Kutlo Mabua, who hails from Mahalapye. His portraits, stunning in detail, undoubtedly stand out and are getting recognition across borders.
For Kutlo Mabua, art has become more than just a pastime. “I studied art from primary school and there was a teacher who had brilliant skills and would sell us ‘Dragon Ball Z’ characters for P10. I believe that’s what sparked the interest in me to pursue it,” says the artist. He mentions that he started to take his gift seriously when renowned artist Wilson Ngoni commended him on a piece he had drawn. “After I got a comment from Wilson when I uploaded a sketch I did of an old woman, I started to see the potential of my work. But, all in all I believe that I’ve always been ‘artistically’ gifted and I just needed a push to keep on drawing.”
Inspired mostly by life and people around him, Kutlo’s work centers around the different people he encounters in his life, from the young to the old. “It’s very tough to pick out what exactly influences my work, it is mostly triggered by my emotions and my life generally,” states Kutlo. His work has been well received on South African based blog ‘People of Accent’ which published his works. “It’s opening doors for me and I’m also starting to receive bookings,” says Kutlo.
On his challenges, kutlo says time is his biggest obstacle. “My only challenge is dedicating myself to finishing my work. I recently started sharing my work, which has motivated my working process,” he says. Still unknown in the visual art scene, he believes that he will soon achieve recognition, refine his skill set and mature as an artist. “Basically art has no boundaries,” explains the 23 year old.
He aspires to see his work being recognized across the world and holding sentimental value for people. “I’d like to see my work in various galleries but first I would love to have my art works find homes in people’s hearts around the world because they are the ones who inspire my creations,” says Kutlo.
