15 Jul 2022

Creative artists have been urged to take advantage of social media platforms to promote their work and generate more sales.

The sentiments were expressed by award-winning international artist, Roger Brown on the sidelines of the opening of a month-long art exhibition at The Space Botswana Art Gallery and Creative Hub in Maun on Wednesday. 

Themed: Artistic Reflection of the Delta and its People

Brown encouraged artists not to limit themselves but rather look beyond borders adding that the secret of enjoying a lucrative market globally was to produce high-quality works which could attract customers.

He revealed that marketing initiatives that run through social media could be incredibly effective for increasing fan base and networking for future opportunities.

“Building a presence on multiple platforms can work wonders for your visibility and grow your reach exponentially. It allows you to get closer to your audiences and meet customers where they are regardless of geographic location,” he added.

Brown whose work has been bought and collected by people from across the world noted that the market should not be a challenge to local artists as they could easily penetrate it if they took their work seriously.

He noted that he started small and social media worked wonders for him adding that he sells some of his works online to countries such as America, the United Kingdom, Russia and Australia among others.

He appreciated that there were some successful artists in Botswana citing that one of them made over P1million in sales internationally.

He challenged artists to focus on improving their work in order to match the international level. Brown also advised them to consider exploring the tourism industry market citing that they could forge partnerships with different safari companies operating in the Okavango Delta to display some of their in their curio shops.

Sharing his journey in the art industry, Brown originally from South Africa explained that he started drawing and painting at the age of 10 as painting was a hobby for his parents.

In 1999, his family relocated to Botswana and he pursued his artistic talent and started exhibiting at some art galleries in the country. His stay in both Maun and Kasane, he said nurtured his love for the landscape, people and wildlife and most of his work depicted the village life found in rural areas of Botswana.

Brown noted that he participated in different exhibitions t Nhabe Museum and Thapong Visual Arts in Gaborone where he was awarded the prize for the outstanding best young artist and prize money.

Meanwhile, the exhibition featured himself and other artists Katongo Chesinga and Pako Molebatsi respectively. The purpose of the exhibition is to educate the communities about the importance of visual arts and the significance they could bring to their lives and the local economy. It also gives artists a platform to share ideas, help each to grow in the industry and penetrate both local and international markets.

Most of the artists’ works depicted the different rich cultures and lifestyles of the communities in the Ngamiland district. The exhibition ends on August 11.  ENDS