Kganya Mogashoa studied Visual Arts in High School. Amongst her many accomplishments, Her first successful achievement was being selected as a top student for visual arts in grade 11.
She often does live Paintings for worship nights at her local church.
Kganya is an Interior Design graduate at the University of Johannesburg.
Accomplishments:
- She was selected for the Newtown.Now Women's month Celebration" live painting competition to refurbish and revive a park in Newtown
- She painted a live painting in honor of Ellen Kuzwayo for Women's Month at the Ditsong Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria
- She Participated in doing a live painting for Ritevac TV (The Creative Hangout) in honor of African Women and the fight against Genger based Violence
- She recently painted a live painting at the Zulu Wedding Movie Premier in Sandton
What is the good and bad thing about Visual Art according to your experiences?
The good thing is that you get to freely express yourself and bring the creativity in your heart and mind to life.
On the bad side, getting recognised in the art industry can be difficult. Emerging artists are often shunned upon and a lot of well-established art galleries are not willing to give them a chance. The Visual Art space in South Africa is still growing. Art is not seen as something worth investing in for a lot of people in the country. People will enjoy seeing your work but it’s either they can’t afford it or they just won’t buy it for many other reasons. Some people don’t take art seriously and they look down on you.
Connecting with other well established artists can also be difficult. Some do not want to share information with you or help you. As a black female artist, it is difficult to thrive in the art industry. A lot of the times you are not taken seriously, especially when you trying to grow a business, or you
can be taken advantage of.
What impact does your work have on current social affairs?
I have participated in doing art projects for social events relating to women empowerment and gender based violence. I am very passionate about addressing gender inequality issues and communicating Godly principals through my artwork. I hope to change the narrative about women in society and make a difference in people’s lives.
How do you seek opportunities in the visual art world?
You seek opportunities by mostly networking and participating in art events that are relevant to you
How do you price your artworks?
There are different methods of pricing depending on the artist and their work. You always have to make sure that you have covered the cost of the materials you have spent money on to produce your art. You can charge a certain amount per hour or charge based on the size of your art.
Pricing is not easy, but ultimately as the artist you are going to use your own discretion because you know best how much effort you have put into your work. Nobody can decide that for you. Sometimes you can negotiate the price with your client, but don’t make it a habit. Be confident in what you believe and feel your art is worth.
What makes a great visual artist in your opinion?
Someone who is bold to share their creativity with the rest of the world. A great visual artist is humble and unafraid of competition, willing to share opportunities with others, always looking for ways to make a difference in the world with their art and willing to help other artists who are struggling. A great artist uses their gifts and talents to change people’s lives.
You studied Interior Design, yet giving attention to Visual Art. How do you balance or handle the two?
I worked full time as an Interior Designer up until the end of last year. It was becoming difficult to balance the two as my art business was also growing and starting to interfere with my then 9 to 5 job. I also was not enjoying my job as an Interior Designer so I decided to quit and follow my passion in art because life is too short to be holding onto a career you do not like.
If your artworks had anything to do with Rap or Hip Hop, would it have the same impact like it does with spirituality and empowering women?
Yes, definitely. I believe I can make a difference in any space I am in. My creativity is not limited to one specific area.
How is the response from family and friends towards your Visual Art journey?
Mostly, family members do not understand what I am doing. As a result they do not believe in me or value what I am doing as a career. I find that I get overwhelmingly good responses from strangers and some friends. It is mostly people outside of my family circle who support me the most.
There are only a selected few people in my family who believe in me.
Which artwork is your favorite and why that artwork?
Sophie
I call this painting Sophie. It is an actual portrait that I did of myself during a journey of self discovery. The name Sophie originates from the Ancient Greek name Sophia which means wisdom. I love wisdom and I believe it forms a huge part of me. This painting is a depiction of my identity, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It represents my faith in God, my skin, my hair which is my crown and my African beauty. It is a physical representation of the existence of the many faces of beautiful African women.
Surely there are so many young Visual Artists who wish to be like you one day. What wise words can you instil in their minds?
Do not trade your integrity for a pay check. Believe in yourself and your work. Always remember that not everybody is going to be your audience. Some people might like you art but some won’t and that’s okay. Keep on creating, marketing your art, networking as far as you can and always be expectant of opportunities. Be teachable and be willing to take risks. Rub shoulders with people who believe in you and people who are willing to invest in your art. Put God first and pray about everything you do.
Kganya Runs Koranges Art as well
Koranges Art, established September 2019, is a fine art business which sells and distributes art to art collectors or any art buyers. We pride ourselves in participating in social responsibility projects and making a difference in people's lives through art. Koranges Art is a newly established business which hopes to promote fine art in the corporate world and assist emerging artists to build their art careers sustainably.
Follow Koranges Art On:
-Instagram: koranges_art
-Facebook: koranges art
Who do You want to send Your Shout Outs to?
God
