By Matṧeliso Phulane
Motlatsi Nteko is a professional midwife who never imagined that taking up art as hobby could turn out to be a business that attracts many customers.
Nteko took a resolve to not only depend on his qualifications, but rather spread his wings and swoop into painting.
He paints clothes, jackets, socks, caps, Basotho hats, walls. He also draws animations on shoes and do whatever is related to painting.
He uses paints, brushes, canvases, shadings, sealers, and quality pencils.
In an interview with theReporter this week, Nteko said his artistic enthusiasm began at an early age and he used to do it just for fun. However, he put his talent on ice when he went to nursing school.
“Even though my talent seemed diminishing at that time, I still had a strong desire which existed in me. Thus I used to still draw whenever I got chance, and not overloaded with my school work.
“The post nursing school is just like the gap that bans every student from university, get bored, broke and adapting to post-varsity life, which is not easy. That was the time I thought of starting something to occupy my mind with and the idea of art came about,” he said
He indicated that he found inspiration along the way; after he noticed that people are really interested in his arts designs.
“The idea of putting the price tag on the products bumped after I noticed that people are actually interested in them and it was the year 2019 after I posted a few of them on social media platforms,” he added.
Currently, he works with his friend and the two focus only on things that are attractive and mostly needed by people such as Basotho hats.
Speaking of the challenges, he said artwork is not so cheap.
“Art is something very expensive, and creativity comes with very big price tag you find that people say ‘artists just do a simple thing such as drawing’ a mere animated shoe in ten minutes, then charge them a lot of money.
“Such people do not know bringing such ideas in to creativity is not as easy as they think, Nteko” highlighted.
He added that, adults think art is meant for kids, for instance when they see someone wearing animated shoes, they tend to have an impression towards that person as being childish.
With the profits he gains, he is able to fund his other minor projects such as farming, small shops, a small bar as well as fast food joint he ventured into.
He said the idea of venturing into entrepreneurship is great because it brings more people to visit his businesses.
The 27-year old said although his work is tasking it also a huge challenge as he sometimes fail to deliver what his clients wanted.
“There is so much work load in the art sphere that I sometimes fail to deliver what my clients wanted. I work nightshifts and you find that I only get chance to go around during the day to get materials just to meet the client’s dateline.
“That alone makes me work under pressure to the extent that I just do things without even being fully satisfied,” he stressed.
Nteko was born and bred at Ha Thetsane in Maseru, and he completed his high school at Thetsane High School. He pursued his studies to Roma College of Nursing where he studied General Nursing and Midwifery which he completed in 2019.
He now works at Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital as an emergency room (ER) nurse.
Nteko indicated it is so sad that most of the people considers art when the owner has died, just like music. He said their art pieces become well known and sold only after their passing on.
He urged those interested in art not to consider their price tag, in as much as they need a lot of money to produce art. He suggested that a price tag for art work should be a fixed amount.
“An artist needs to sacrifice and spend a lot on quality materials such as paints. If one buys the cheap ones, it creates an extra work to repeat painting several times.
“An artist should be proud of his products, even though they are expensive to buy. I try by all means to make my products on top and unique even though it is not about competition. That because of quality materials I use,” he concluded.
His products range from M200 depending on the type of art work.
Nteko can be contacted on: +266 59499460 or his social media pages, both Facebook and Instagram; look up Xysthus Arts.
They are also available in Maseru at Lesotho Apparel, and Creative Pioneers and Design Printing.
