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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
YOUNG artists should be mentored in order for them to understand and appreciate that there is no short cut to making money.
This was said by the former National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo regional director Voti Thebe in an interview recently.
Thebe retired from the gallery after being at the helm since 1975 when it was called Bulawayo Gallery.
Reflecting on his four decade career, Thebe who is a visual artist, said young artists should be patient.
“The young artists want to be rich overnight. They see a painting that I’ve done and selling it for $500. They only see the dollar signs and want to charge the same amount or more but they don’t realise how much time, experience, blood, sweat and tears I’ve invested in my art for all these years for me to charge that amount,” Thebe said.
The well travelled Thebe who has more than 30 exhibitions to his name dating back from as far as 1979, said: “People should learn to build their names like in any profession until they reach the pinnacle of their careers.”
Thebe said one of the students who understood this piece of advice was visual artiste Charles Bhebhe.
“One of the artists at the gallery Charles Bhebhe, soon after training at the Mzilikazi Arts Centre, had that college mentality of making a quick buck. I told him to find his own style while he was at the gallery. At first he thought I hated him but it was after a while that he came back to me and said “baba Thebe, you were right”.
“He told me how when he travelled to Germany, met so many talented artists who had amazing works but realised some couldn’t exhibit at the gallery there because the standard was very high. But here they can,” he said.
Thebe said the reason why some artists believe they can make it overnight is because there is not much competition in Zimbabwe.
In order to have outstanding artists, Thebe said it was very important for the older and more experience artists to share their knowledge with the young ones. He said he was particularly proud that visual artists, Hloniphani Dube and Bhekitshe Ntshali have opened an academy called Siph’ulwazi Visual Arts Academy (SVAA).
“As artists, we should be able to pass on the knowledge we have to the next generation which is what I’m seeing with Hloniphani Dube who started an arts school. I was amazed at the work his students have produced.
“It’s so detailed and it’s clear he has passed on his skills to the young ones which is a great thing,” said Thebe.
However, for Thebe the 21st century artists have it easy, for example, material for painting is readily available – a luxury he did not have when starting his career.
“I remember when I first bought oil painting tubes. They cost $3 which was a lot of money back then. It was my weekly salary. I still have the painting of my uncle Zwelibanzi that I did with that paint at home.
“These young artistes are very lucky because the art material is very cheap. They can walk into any shop and buy,” he said.
Thebe said because of the harships he faced back then, he learnt how to be innovative and used soil for paintings.
“We couldn’t afford oil paintings so we had to use soil. Zimbabwe has many different clay soils that we used for our paintings. For instance, along Masiyephambili Road (near Bellevue), there’s a place where you can get different shades from yellow to the red spectrum.
“This is what we used. For it to stick on we used wood glue and it looked like real paint.”
The renowned artist said although he has retired from arts administration, this did not mean he has retired as an artist. He said he would continue coming up with artworks as this is in his blood.
Online Reporter