Khehla Chepape Makgato’s work draws inspiration from communities

Khehla Chepape Makgato’s work draws inspiration from communities

BusinessLive | Eugene Yiga

Khehla Chepape Makgato has been working as an artist for more than a decade but his love for art began early. Raised by his grandmother in Makotopong, a rural village east of Polokwane, he was interested in visuals and texts as a child. “I always wanted to be a professional artist,” he says. “I had an English and arts teacher in primary school who made me appreciate the arts. “When I was 10, he taught us about great South African art masters like George Pemba, Gerard Sekoto and more.”

After matriculating, Makgato pursued a diploma in fine arts (majoring in print making) at Artist Proof Studio in Newtown and a diploma in media practices (majoring in journalism) at Boston Media House in Sandton. “Artist Proof Studio was the only institution that offered the opportunity to study for three years for free,” he says. “And Boston Media House was the only option for me to pursue my journalism career because I didn’t pass matric with a university entrance. “Both institutions gave me their different perspectives of the real world.”…read more

Image: Celebrating women: Khehla Chepape Makgato’s exhibition revisits the village where he grew up and honours its resilient women