By Matṧeliso Phulane
Thabiso Motsamai, best known for art works such as portraits, has taken his creativity to another level.
He now weaves baskets, vases, earrings, and pencil holders using steel wires and telephone cable wires.
Motsamai holds a Bachelor of Arts in Demography and Sociology from the National University of Lesotho. However, his love for art was unstoppable despite his qualifications, which could not secure him a job anyway.
His enthusiasm in creativity started at a young age when he used to make cars out of wires. He also made earrings out of aluminum cans.
Motsamai said his fascination with telephone wires started in 2019 after being introduced to a craft shop at Pioneer Mall in Maseru where he used to sell his earrings.
The shop later introduced him to telephone wires and together with other artists they took their products to the shop to sell. His colleagues were already creating things out of wires.
Motsamai recalled they were each given three different colours of telephone wires for free to craft, but he took two.
“There were eight telephone wires, and I decided to take two just to motivate myself when I was bored and to try my hand at this new craft.
“I was also given a small basket sample which I tried several times to reproduce but still could not bring up a good final product since I did not have a trainer to guide me,” he said.
Motsamai however, managed to take the products to the crafts shop where they sold successfully. That inspired him even more although he still had doubts about his finished products’ resemblance to the sample he had been given.
He finally figured out how to perfect his craft and made exactly what was required – nice colorful baskets in different shapes and sizes.
“I then decided to make my own shapes, drawing from my childhood skills of using wire to fold and connect pieces.
“At first I used to remove the spikes of barbed wire and use the remaining strands since because I did not have enough money to buy proper wire from the hardware shops. This was so tedious and it would leave wounded by the spikes because I did not wear gloves and worked with my bare hands.”
Interestingly, Motsamai says he does not wish to get employed even though he does not make enough money from his crafts. He insists the gratification he gets from what he does is more important than money.
“If only people could understand what I am doing, more jobs would be created. I wish to see my business successful in a few years to come, and getting more recognition as a cooperative that a company.
“I want to own it with other weavers because it is going to give me opportunities to teach others how to weave while my focus is marketing abroad,” he expressed
Motsamai further urged people to learn handiworks because that is what attracts tourists. Apart from that, people will be able to make a living out of what they make with their own hands.
Motsamai can be contacted at: +266 56080248
