Botswana artist Ray Gare at home in Waikouaiti this week.
Photo by Peter McIntosh.
It is a long way from Mochudi to Waikouaiti, but that has
not stopped Botswana artist Ray Gare from packing up his easel,
brushes and paints to start a new life here.
Mr Gare emigrated to New Zealand three months ago with his
Australian fiancee, Violet Grosse. Soon after they arrived in
Dunedin, their first son, Sascha, was born.
"So now we've got a Botswanan, an Australian and a Kiwi in
the family," he said this week.
"We came here because we wanted to explore a new life and
different vegetation. It's very good air here. It releases my
mind, like peace. The air has a good colour and smell.
"I like to work with colour as a means to express my inner
feelings about my past experiences."
Mr Gare (33) grew up in an artistic family in the southeast
village of Mochudi, where his great-grandmother was a potter,
his grandmother a weaver and his mother made basketry.
"I grew up with a love of art, drawings and space. During my
childhood, my late Grandma Mmaletlhokwa used to bring me
drawing crayons in times of migration and apartheid when she
came back for holidays from South Africa, where she worked as
a maid.
"I remember well that whenever my grandmother brought those
crusts from the kitchens in South Africa, she would also
bring me some crayons with which I would do some drawing on
paper."
When no crayons were available he would practise by making
drawings in the dirt on the ground.
Mr Gare's work features in the National Museum and Gallery of
Botswana, and the offices of the Botswana Auditor-general,
the Botswana Defence Force and Botswana State Television.
He is now looking for a studio in Dunedin to start work on
his first exhibition here.
- nigel.benson@odt.co.nz
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