By Mosa Matela
Kananelo Maphathe is a visionary in the fine art industry.
She has defied the odds and captured the essence of life through her exceptional talent and outstanding portraits.
The determined artist continues to let her talent shine through, regardless of never receiving formal training and education.
As she was approaching her tertiary years, Maphathe wanted to further hone her God-given talent by studying Fine Arts.
However, she later opted for a qualification in Graphic Design due to a limitation in resources and space. But this did not discourage her from furthering her abilities, as she still believes that practice makes perfect.
Maphathe has embarked on a passionate artistic journey, while taking breaks to focus on her corporate work in the field of graphic design shortly after graduation in 2013.
She continued creating, though keeping it limited to art pieces for her home. She is currently working her way back into the world of arts.
Her journey in the field of fine art began when she would make decorative pieces of art, focusing more on aesthetics and visually appealing work.
Now that she has grown up, she creates pieces that carry meaning, ensuring that they educate, communicate and can be used as a medium of storytelling.
Maphathe draws motivation from her personal experiences, stories from those around her and draws context from her country and things she grew up experiencing.
She told this publication recently that one of the challenges she faces is lack of good quality artistic materials in the country.
The other challenge she faces is lack of appreciation when it comes to artistic work.
Her relaunch into the fine art industry was motivated by her being part of an open call by the International Human Rights Art Festival in June this year, themed ‘Women and Education’.
From there Maphathe had the opportunity to participate in a master class by an international artist, Beatriz Vasquez, and a farmers’ market in Maseru last month.
The market further opened doors for her, as she was granted the opportunity to showcase two of her artworks under her name, and had one bought by an American national.
For a long time, Maphathe would sell her artworks to South African nationals due to fine art not being appreciated in Lesotho.
Now she believes that there is hope in the growth of fine art in the country, due to the initiatives that have been taken and exhibitions being hosted.
Maphathe hopes to continue to grow and thrive within the industry.
