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Above: Like father, like son, by Thabo Modillane. Inset: Thabo Modillane is earning himself high praise in the art industry as his work gets exibited at more and more galleries. Picture supplied. 

Modillane's beautiful art scooped up by top collectors

 

Thabo Modillane is an accomplished local artist, whose beautiful creations find their way to the walls of more and more great offices in cities, homes, and schools across the country.

Thabo was born in Madombidzha village but currently calls Pretoria his home. He discovered his talent when he was only nine years old as learner at Tshilwavhusiku Primary School in Madombidzha village. He would draw images for his teachers, who admired his exceptional offerings. He was a fine-art student at the Tshwane University of Technology.

“My art caught the eye and hearts of many people when I was young,” he said. “From then on I just continued to draw, and people seemed to be fascinated with my work.”

Thabo uses art to express his personal life experiences, and life in general as he sees it around him. “My focus is on painting and sculpture. I paint conceptual artworks and commissions from my clients,” he said. “Art is my life. I’m inspired by my environment, my own experiences, and my own personal struggles. I represent this socio-political issue by producing contemporary, figurative artworks.”

He encourages people to start appreciating art more and said that this could only be achieved if parents and guardian introduced their children to it while they were still young.

“I vividly remember how some people closest to me, such as friends and family members, didn’t understand when I said that I was going to study art at varsity,” he recalled. “They had every sound reason to dissuade me from studying art because they thought I was wasting my time. But since I knew what I was doing, I continued to register and studied art.”

Some of the people who thought he should consider another course, instead of art, are the happiest people today to see what his talents are producing. “It’s all so amazing. They even send me WhatsApp messages and call to congratulate me on my journey as an artist,” he said. “I just received an invitation to represent our country at the Modzi Arts Festival in Zambia in August this year,” he said proudly, still a little overwhelmed.

His art has so far proven viable in the public market. One aspect that clients like about his art, he said, was its uniqueness and authenticity. “Some of my works have been sold to Art Bank of South Africa and are now exhibited in the Bloemfontein Museum,” he said. “Well, my clients are public and private collectors, gallery owners, and everyone who can afford commissions as well.”

His first professional art piece was a commissioned self-portrait of the celebrated and talented actress Florence Masebe. “I was very proud to be commissioned to paint a cover art of her film Elelwani.”

Thabo Modillane can be followed on most social media platforms and reached either by email at [email protected] or contacted on Tel 071 512 5332.

 

News - Date: 18 April 2021

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Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]

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