Surrealist artist - Itumeleng
There is life in art. Art involves creativity, realism, skills and imagination which turns the imaginative feelings or expressions into reality to typically produce works to be appreciated by other people. A lot of Batswana have found love and life in art and featured here is one of the local artists, Itumeleng who does art whole heartedly.
Of all the things, why did you choose to do art?
True question is why not art, I honestly did not choose to have this gift but I was rather given it by God, so I believe this is a God given gift and I tend to not waste it. I’m addicted to art. I was born with this gift and I intend to keep it, to use it to my absolute full potential because this is something I clearly can’t live without. I paint as I do to go slower and slower, sink deeper into the whole and never want this particular creative process to end. The way it reveals how little I know, how failing my vision for it, but realizing I’d done the best I could has always been the best part.
Share your background with us?
My name is Itumeleng Junior Boitshwarelo, I’m 24 years old and I’m a multi-talented artist living and working in Gaborone, Botswana. My large-scale creations continue to come alive through stories and inspiration that I portray into my art. My paintings, drawings, murals and digital works are simply surreal inspired by dreams and great role models like Akiane Kramarik, Kiptoe, Hula Sean Yoro and many more, also through movies, sculptors and rural areas.
I did my tertiary education at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and that’s where I ventured my skills into digital art. It was in 2016 when I used a spray-can for the first time. I painted some signatures and doodles on my neighborhood walls. But only in the mid-2019, I had my first contact with graffiti, while some graffiti writers painted outside my neighborhood (Ext- 14). The passion I have always shown for drawing and painting has found a new purpose.
2020 during the lockdown was when I had to really find a way of keeping the fire burning of street art graffiti. That was when I began to experiment with a lot of materials and I stumbled upon some writing on plastic which gave me an idea to try spray paint on plastic. I immediately fell so in love with how challenging and complicated it is to achieve such but that never stopped me from creating, therefore I continued to put in the effort to it every week.
What’s integral to the work of an artist?
Passion and vision.
What role does the artist have in society?
Well, my role as an artist is to try remind the world that there are always new possibilities, new forms that beauty can take, new categories that haven’t been imagined yet, so I just want to be like that right now. My role again as an artist is to keep creating and try to show dreamers that it’s ok to surpass boundaries of our normal lives so we grow into our gifts, talents and strengths.
Explain what you do in 100 words.
I am a graffiti street artist, painter, digital artist and graphic designer. I do a lot of graphic design during the week and by night from work I’m a painter or digital artist, but mostly a painter. During the weekends I go out in the streets to create street art.
How has your practice change over time?
After I completed my secondary days of school, I ventured into trying out digital art/graphic design which happens to have contributed to my art in the most creative way. In my years of studying professional graphics it introduced a whole new world of art to me, like digital painting, digital illustrations, 3D art, 3D modeling, animation, motion graphics and a whole lot more. With all that being said, it opened my eyes in the craziest dramatic way of seeing the world.
What kind of art are you identified with?
Surrealism is the most type of art I’m identified with; this is the kind of art that sought to channel the unconscious as a means to unlock the power of imagination.
What work do you enjoy doing?
I really enjoy spray painting, learning new skills on the net and discovering new skills that I didn’t know existed in me.
What themes do you pursue?
It depends really on where I’m getting the inspiration from, it may be nature theme based, nightmares themed, love, growth, life experiences and I visualize these in my own kind of way.
What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
Back at preschool when I discovered that being an artist is what I was going to be, I simply knew it right away when my teacher assigned the whole class to draw an apple and write the word apple. I failed to write apple but my drawing execution was the best from the rest of the class and it was at that moment when I knew it. At primary school my class teacher planted these words in me “art will forever favour you” and that was forever true until this day.
What’s your scariest experience?
Going through more than 6 months not painting at all. That really messed me up.
Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
A story of a woman who had twins and lost them a few moments later. That inspired me to create a painting for her that helped her to heal. The crazy thing is that, I then took the painting further and putting it in a competition helped me to win. So not only did it help her but also brought peace to a lot of people.
What’s your favourite art piece?
This other painting I did which I call “This age of scattered attention”. This is a painting that talks about the nature of growth, the qualities, rich experiences it comes with which really offered me a deeper understanding of myself through reassigning old fears and adapting to the uncomfortable process of personal growth. The painting offered a small sense of peace during a very difficult time for me and reminded me to trust in the feeling of progress, even if it can’t be seen.
What jobs have you done other than being an artist?
I have worked in South Africa with my mother selling shoes, clothes and opened a food catering business (kota). I’ve also worked as a bar tender and cleaned yards for some extra bucks.
Any memorable responses do you have about your work?
I always tend to get that wow factor experience from people as soon as they set eyes on my work and I also tend to shock myself sometimes with the things I’m capable of doing.
How do you choose a theme?
It depends on where I get the inspiration from, it may be nature theme based, nightmares themed, love, growth, experiences in life and I visualize these in my own kind of way. Giving a behind-the-scenes look into what drives your art is an excellent way to begin building an emotional connection with your audience.
What inspires you?
“Being labeled crazy.” A crystal clear vision of what I’m after to paint and being labeled crazy, because being labeled crazy is the price of greatness. As a kid, I always wanted to be an artist then God gave me that opportunity to become one, little did I know that I was going to be a crazy one. But the reality is the world needs crazy, the world needs weird, the world needs surreal creators in it. This is where I stand every night after the world goes to sleep; this is where stories breathe life, where laughter helps out meds, music, love, beauty, and romance come into play. Until the world realizes that surrealism is the real golden ratio of art, my creations will always be around to remind them about foreign stars beyond magic. Normal creations died a long time ago. Stay weird and be surreal.
Contacts: 75350908
Email: ij.boitshwarelo@gmail.com
FB: Art I.J.B
Instagram: itumeleng_ijb
Twitter:itumeleng_ijb
Behance: itumelengijb
Duncan Sebeso 
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