Jambo Africa Online’s Publisher, SAUL MOLOBI, attended the VIP Opening Night of the Handmade Contemporary (HmC) Fair at Melrose Arch. He was too excited to reconnect with Lerato Motau, an artist who is one of the exhibitors at this prestigious annual event which runs from today, 1 September, till Sunday…
Lerato Motau lives on Vilakazi Street in Soweto, the historical significance of which has inspired her and features in some of her work. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world in which two Nobel Peace Prize winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, resided.
Motau has had two solo exhibitions and her work has featured in a number of group exhibitions. Internationally, she was represented in exhibitions that ran in China, Australia, Canada, India, London, Switzerland Austria and Finland.
Despite a major learning barrier of dyslexia, Motau has obtained a Fine Arts and Teaching Diploma from the Johannesburg Art Foundation in 1998. In 2004 she received an NQF4 Certificate in Craft Enterprise from the Craft Council. In 2005, she qualified with an NQF4 Certificate in Basic Embroidery and also attended a handmade felt-making workshop in the same year.
Motau was the resident artist at the Greatmore Studios in Cape Town from September to November 2007. Her work is featured in a number of corporate collections that include Nando’s UK; Absa; Pikit-Up; SA Breweries; Equity Africa in Johannesburg; First National Bank (FNB); as well as DBSA Deotswana in Botswana.
Public Commissions include an embroidered public artwork for the Vaal Campus of the North-West University; a 17m Hand Embroidery at the Leonardo Hotel in Sandton; a BRT Station in Maraisburg, Johannesburg, which was completed in 2011; and a public artwork situated on the corner of Vilakazi and Makgete Streets in Orlando West, Soweto, completed in 2010 for the Vilakazi Street Development Project – all of which are in South Africa.
Lerato is one of the five recipients of a sponsorship from Capitec. In announcing the sponsorship, HmC said in a statement: “Capitec has come on board as a sponsor of our Makers evening – The Capitec Live Better Makers Evening. The evening is designed to celebrate our Makers and provide a warm, relaxed environment for Makers’ to get to know each other, learn from each other and extend their networks.
“In addition, Capitec have also chosen to support five women Makers’ whose stories of craftsmanship, caring and empowering their communities spoke the heart of the Capitec brand. The Live Better Pod — a new section of this weekend’s event celebrates some of the most exciting names in contemporary African luxury design.”
The statement further quoted Capitec: “Our Live Better makers and Capitec Business clients, Bonolo Chepape (LulasClan), Lerato Motau (Lerato Motau Studios), Neo Mutuma (N.Be.Love), Makori Mosiuoa (Nahla Sleepwear) and Chumisa Manyamalala (Milaliso Creations) are all amazing artisans who make handcrafted items from bespoke clothing to textile artwork.
“Their journey and their stories are at the heart of what we do as a client-obsessed bank. We’ve simplified their business banking with our app and online banking. Our website is also a one-stop shop for everything they need to know to simplify their business banking needs so they don’t need to worry about anything other than their businesses and the incredible journeys that have brought them to the HmC.
“HmC’s commitment to giving a platform to proudly South African artisans aligns with our strive to help entrepreneurs and business owners – big or small – live better.”
Contact Lerato Motau on motaulerato@gmail.com or by clicking here.
To book a ticket to this fair, please click here.