Samkelo Matomela, the “Butterfly” from Soweto tells stories through art
Living for the love of art.
Everyone is born with a purpose, a God-given talent that has to be shared with the world. 24-year-old Samkelo Matomela from Protea Glen is ready to spread his wings and share his talent of art with the world.
Matomela started drawing at a young age when it was still a competition with his friends but he had not taken it seriously. “I was inspired to take my drawing seriously when my sister bought me drawing material.”
Currently, he is focused on painting portraits and human figures with butterfly wings. “I was interested in the transformation of a butterfly endures from being a caterpillar. I use wings in my drawings as a metaphor of possibilities of how humans can copy the butterfly.”
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He explains that his work is motivated by his past experiences in being born and raised in the township. Matomela uses butterflies in his art to represent himself.
“ I use a butterfly as a metaphor of myself. Trying to portray what my life has been like growing up in a township and dodging the influences of it and also the behavior.”
“I use the butterfly to represent the delicateness of it but representing myself in it.”
He continued to explain that the butterfly also represents something beautiful that can come out of a place where not many people strive and succeed in a dirty and grimy township.
Matomela states that he currently has no sponsors but is being mentored by Edward Selematsela and Solomon Mugusto. He has also collaborated with Minenhle Mthembu, an author and poet. He was responsible for illustrating poems in the book, Inkonjane.
He explains that constantly having to fight for what he loves and people doubting what he does has been a challenge. Also finding something that sets him apart from other artists was a mishap. But challenges are always there and he has not let any of them come between him and his art.
Matomela says he would like to have his own self funded solo exhibition in a rented In the near future as he believes that artists should be independent.
“My long-term goal is to own a studio at home where I can be able to produce monumental work. But more than anything it is to enjoy the highs and lows that come with the journey and also create something that people of all ages can relate to, be versatile and improve my skills.”
He continued to say that he would like to have an art gallery and a studio eKasi that will bridge the gap of young undiscovered talent with the world to open the door to an audience and maybe potential clients, buyers, and collectors.
During the national lockdown, Matomela explains that he has suffered a level of loss in sales and has to sell his art at discounted prices.
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