In July last year, visual artist Tshepo Maponyane (pictured), of Winterveld, was painting dustbins in Waterkloof, trying to raise funds to travel to Indonesia where he would study art on a year’s scholarship.
Thanks to the support he received from benevolent friends Hellmut Wilhelm and Professor Fred van Staden, and the Tshwane City Council, he was able to make the trip and has returned with stories of artistic adventures and an enlightened mind.
“I received positive responses from painting the bins. People called me and encouraged me to keep up the good work. So when I arrived in Indonesia, I thought about doing the same thing there as a way of contributing to the well-being of the people and creating awareness,” Maponyane said.
Before leaving Indonesia, he, with the help of acquaintances, held a solo exhibition titled Dawn of a New Era, which featured mixed media that incorporated trash and dustbins.
Prior to that, he was invited to be part of a charity exhibition for the Merapi victims, which aimed to raise funds for Indonesians who had suffered from the devastating effects of the Merapi volcano, which erupted last year.
The response from the public was outstanding, which led to him being interviewed on Bali TV and written about in Indonesian publications such as Reader Bali and Bali Post.
He describes the friendships he developed at the Institution of Seni Indonesia (ISI Denpasar), where he was studying, as invaluable, as were the exhibitions he participated in which were initiated and supported by the institution and fellow students.
Not only did Maponyane get to work with Indonesian artists, but also with others from Australia, in a joint exhibition.
The letdown, however, came when Maponyane returned to Winterveld four weeks ago and found many of the promising youngsters he knew addicted to nyaope, a drug composed of cannabis and heroin.
This issue weighs heavily on Maponyane’s mind. He believes harnessing creativity through an artistic medium requires you to resign your mind to a reverie-like state that provides a momentary escape from reality. He sees this yearning for escape as the reason behind youngsters abusing drugs.
“Black people are powerful, but some are stranded in circumstances where their talents can only be harnessed negatively. Look at the theatrical ability it takes to rob someone on the street, or the creativity required to romance a complete stranger, there is also the tactical and technical analysis that goes into being a thief, or pickpocket,” he points out.
Maponyane’s ambitions and beliefs seem to have gained sternness since we last saw him a year ago. His focus is on the way forward – a possible collaborative exhibition between South Africa and Indonesia.
“We share many cultures with the people of Indonesia. The women there carry buckets on their heads like women here do; they carry their children on their backs like the women here at home.
“It is like we are brothers and sisters with the Indonesians, but we in South Africa are not aware of it,” he said.
It is this realisation that brought about a great interest in joining the two nations through art. The Institute of Seni Indonesia is eager to collaborate with a South African institution. Unisa is a strong candidate, but with nothing finalised, Maponyane is still open to assistance from organisations that would like to see art flourish for the greater good of our country and struggling communities.
“I had the opportunity to meet Mr Ida Bagus, who is one of Indonesia’s legendary wood carving artists. I dream of seeing him collaborating with people like Roy Ndinisa and Lefifi Tladi, who are admired Tshwane artists,” Maponyane stated.
For the time being, he will continue to work at his studio in Lebanon’s Rentse Community Skills Centre, where his vision and trust in his community resonates stronger than ever.
l For info on Maponyane’s art, call 083 507 0189 or 083 415 1185.