Thato Motana

Heroes in Communities, Sport, Arts & Culture

Nominee's Province:
Limpopo

Age:
32

Project Name/Description:

More info:

“I would like to partner with local and international associations to help establish an art institution in the rural areas of Limpopo Province.” As a self-taught artist, Thato Motana has been practicing fine arts since 2016. The Polokwane-based independent fine artist could not resist the many therapeutic processes of creating visual artworks. This contributes a lot to his mental health and that of those he is privileged to mentor. Even though the Polokwane Art Museum Market Photo Workshop student and volunteer archivist has faced a few hardships in his life, he has continued to demonstrate a life of purpose to his township peers through art. He soldiers on through his aspirations of becoming a curator in the future and his desire to exhibit his debut solo artwork before the end of the year. The archivist shares his other dreams, “I would like to partner with local and international associations to help establish an art institution with the aim of educating and growing the art industry in the rural areas of Limpopo Province.” The 32-year-old has been busy, having showcased his work in group exhibitions such as those in the Pretoria Art Museum, Number Four Museum – Constitution Hill, Oliewenhuis Art Museum and Polokwane Art Museum. To fuel his passion, there has been also recognition as well. The self-declared theological aesthete was winner of the 2019 Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards: Art on Paper Merit Award as well as a Sasol New Signatures 2019 finalist. The Art Bank of South Africa is a collector of his work and in 2019, Business and Arts South Africa also notably nominated him for the Department of Arts and Culture Debut Awards.