A visual recontextualisation of lekgapho patterns within Botswana contemporary art practice

Abstract

This study recontextualises Batswana Lekgapho wall and floor decorative homestead patterns within the contemporary art practice of Botswana. It tracks their original meaning using a genealogical approach towards archiving this traditional art form, in order to place it in the contemporary artistic realm. The term lekgapho is used widely to refer to traditional wall decorations of huts; lelapa is a walled courtyard that provides a frontage to one or more houses in a household that serve several purposes, such as a meeting place for family members or a space for external events such as weddings. In Tswana culture, lekgapho is a decoration which shows a woman’s ability to creatively beautify her homestead, similar to wall decorations in some parts of Africa. Even though lekgapho practice is regarded as nearing extinction because of modern architecture, there are still women in Botswana who practise the traditional art form in rural areas. The study is framed through genealogical and cultural reappropriation, archival theory and provenance approaches. It articulates lekgapho’s evolution while exploring its symbolic and cultural significance for its practitioners and their communities towards archiving and preserving it as Botswana tradition and a worthy cultural heritage for future generations. Narrative inquiry and desktop research were conducted, and first-hand information was collected through interviews and photographs. A key finding is that the practitioners believe that they are the last surviving artists of this art form in Botswana. This revelation is a call to action to preserve the art form for future generations. The study contributes to knowledge through preservation of lekgapho motifs, especially through the Re a Kgapha exhibition where viewers reimagined the designs outside of their original settings. This was achieved through a body of artworks, including paintings, photographs, ceramic tiles and a video installation, inspired by lekgapho.

Thutopatlisiso eno e tsosolosa dipaterone tsa Lekgapho la Batswana tsa magae tsa go kgabisa lebota le fa fatshe mo tiragatsong ya botaki jwa segompieno jwa Botswana. E latedisa bokao jwa tsona jwa ntlha ka go dirisa mokgwa wa tatelano ya losika go ya kwa go bolokeng mofuta ono wa botaki jwa setso, gore o tle o bewe mo lefelong la botaki jwa segompieno. Lereo lekgapho le dirisiwa thata go kaya mekgabiso ya setso ya mabota a matlo a bojang; lelapa ke tikologo ya ntlo e e thekeleditsweng ka lobota e e ka fa pele ga ntlo e le nngwe kgotsa go feta mo lwapeng e e dirang ditiro di le mmalwa, jaaka lefelo la kopano la maloko a lelapa kgotsa lefelo la ditiragalo tsa kwa ntle jaaka manyalo. Mo setsong sa Batswana, lekgapho ke mokgabiso o o bontshang bokgoni jwa mosadi jwa go kgabisa legae la gagwe ka boitlhamedi, go tshwana le mekgabiso ya mabota mo dikarolong dingwe tsa Aforika. Le fa tiro ya lekgapho e tsewa e le e e gaufi le go nyelela ka ntlha ya boagi jwa segompieno, go santse go na le bomme mo Botswana ba ba dirang tiro ya botaki jwa setso kwa metsemagaeng. Thutopatlisiso e rulagantswe ka go tsosolosa tatelano ya losika le setso, tiori ya akhaefe le mekgwa ya tlholego. E tlhalosa phetogo ya lekgapho fa e ntse e tlhotlhomisa botlhokwa jwa lona jwa sesupo le jwa setso mo bathong ba ba dirang ka lona le mo merafeng ya bona go e boloka le go e somarela jaaka ngwao ya Botswana le boswa jo bo tshwanetseng jwa setso jwa lotso la isago. Go ne ga dirwa dipatlisiso tsa kanegelo le dipatlisiso tsa desekethopo, mme go ne ga kokoanngwa tshedimosetso e e bonweng ka tlhamalalo ka dipotsolotso le dinepe. Phitlhelelo e e botlhokwa ke gore batho ba ba dirang ka lona ba dumela gore ke bona bataki ba bofelo ba ba setseng ba mofuta ono wa botaki mo Botswana. Tshenolo eno ke kgoeletso ya gore go tsewe kgato go somarelela lotso la isago mofuta wa botaki. Thutopatlisiso e na le seabe mo kitsong ka go somarela ditshwantsho tsa lekgapho, bogolosegolo ka pontsho ya Re a Kgapha moo babogedi ba neng ba akanya gape ka mokgabo wa botaki kwa ntle ga maitshetlego a tsona a ntlha. Se se fitlheletswe ka setlhopha sa ditiro tsa botaki, go akaretsa ditshwantsho tse di takilweng, dinepe, dithaele tsa seramiki le tlhomo ya bidio, tse di tlhotlheleditsweng ke lekgapho.

Olu phando lucacisa umxholo weepateni zeLekgapho yaBatswana zokuhombisa imigangatho neendonga zezindlu zasemakhaya kwindlela yobugcisa yale mihla ekwenziwa ngayo eBotswana. Olu phando lulandela intsingiselo yasekuqaleni yezi pateni lusebenzisa indlela yomlibo yokwenza obu bugcisa bemveli ukuze lukwazi ukufaka ezi pateni zamandulo kubugcisa bale mihla. Eli gama lithi lekgapho lisetyenziswa kakhulu xa kuthethwa ngokuhonjiswa kweendonga zamanqugwala; ilelapa yiyadi ebiyelwe ngodonga ekukho kuyo indlu enye okanye izindlu eziliqela ezilungiselelwe injongo ethile efana nendawo apho ludibanela khona usapho okanye indawo yemisitho efana nemitshato. Kwinkcubeko yesiTswana ilekgapho sisihombiso esibonisa ubuchule bebhinqa bokuhombisa umzi walo ubemhle yaye siyafana nezihombiso zeendonga ezikweminye imimandla eAfrika. Nangona ukwenza ilekgapho kuphelelwa ngenxa yobugcisa bale mihla, kodwa asekho amabhinqa akwiilali zaseBotswana abenzayo obu bugcisa bemveli. Olu phando lusebenzisa iindlela zomlibo nezokuvuselela inkcubeko, ithiyori yoovimba kunye neyemvelaphi. Lucacisa iinguqu zelekgapho lo gama luphonononga intsingiselo yayo yomfuziselo neyenkcubeko kwabo bayenzayo nakuluntu ngokubanzi ngenjongo yokuyigcina kuvimba nokuyilondoloza njengemvelaphi nesithethe saseBotswana ukulungiselela izizukulwana ezizayo. Kwenziwe uphando ngamabali nangeintanethi yaye ingcombolo yokuqala iqokelelwe ngokwenza udliwano-ndlebe nangokuthabatha iifoto. Into engundoqo efunyaniswe kolu phando kukuba la magcisa enza ezi zihombiso akholelwa ekubeni angawokugqibela asaphilayo akwaziyo ukwenza ezi zihombiso eBotswana. Oku kuxela ukuba kufuneka kubekho into eyenziwayo ukuze kulondolozwe obu bugcisa ukuze nezizukulwana ezizayo zibubone. Olu phando lufaka igalelo lolwazi ngokulondoloza imifanekiso yelekgapho ngokusebenzisa izinto ezifana nomboniso iRe a Kgapha nalapho ababukeli bafumana ithuba lokuyicinga ngenye indlela le mifanekiso. Lo mboniso