Talented artist regrets his criminal past

Kwa-Thema – Former convict Tshwarelo Moloi (44) used his time in prison to grow and work on his talent in the arts.
Moloi, an all-rounder artist, prides himself on the knowledge of fine arts, craft arts, murals, paper mache, fashion, shoe design and more.
He was arrested in 2012 for an armed robbery which took place at the Dalpark Toll Plaza. He was sentenced in 2015 to 15 years and served eight. He has been out of prison for two months.
“It took me 21 days in prison to make peace with being arrested and to decide I no longer wanted to do crime,” he said.
Moloi said after the 21 days of introspection, he remembered the skill and talent he has and decided that would be what keeps him busy in prison, other than joining gangs.
“I used to attend art classes of a Wits lecturer and learnt a lot, while also showcasing my skills,” he said.
He was moved from one prison to another during his sentence and that made him start his own classes in different prisons.
“I started my own classes so that I could pull others away from gangsterism, and that helped a lot of us in a great way. I also used to sell some of my paintings to survive in prison without having to join a gang,” he continued.
Moloi didn’t want to be a burden to his family by calling them and asking for money, so the best way for him was to sell his paintings.
“We would leave our work at the prison gates with prices, people would take the artwork they like and leave the money there,” he explained.
Moloi said the money was paid to the prison tuck shop and he would be given a slip, which he then used at the tuck shop for things he needed.
Explaining his paintings, Moloi said he uses his emotions and dreams to come up with a picture.
“When doing a painting for a client, I get to listen to what they say and look at their emotions while listening and that helps me come up with good pictures,” he continued.
Moloi also has a comic book which he is working on named after his lokshin name Sdala.
“I like comics and enjoy reading them. That inspired me to come up with my own who I hope will one day make the shelves,” Moloi said.
He also studied fashion design and textile technology at Wits but couldn’t complete the course due to finances.
He also trained as a traditional healer.
“After my training, I don’t know what got into me as I couldn’t focus on important things. I decided to do crime, which obviously didn’t pay,” said Moloi.
He also said he was close with a few celebrities, some of whom went to the same initiation school for training with him. However, he had no eyes to see the good things others did.
“I had a shade of right things but no eyes to see the opportunities in the shade,” he said.
To the youth, he said, “Have eyes to see great opportunities rather than regret later.”
For more of Moloi’s pictures and paintings, visit his Facebook page (Tshwarelo Sdala) or Instagram @tshwarelotheartist.
Call him on 068 010 4211 or 069 322 2628.

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