Kutlo Mabua (b.1992) is a visual artist from Mahalapye, a town in the central district of Botswana. Mabua produces multi-disciplinary works in ink pointillism, charcoal, and paint to broaden his visual scope of expression, with a focus on the fragility of human relations greatly influenced by identity and belonging.
Mabua expands his philosophy in his portraiture pieces. His intimate portraits employ the meticulous shading technique of pointillism. His works are heavily influenced by the now, so, every dot carries the depth of the artist’s emotions, memory, and the present complexities of that particular place and time, making every art piece uniquely personal.
He has taken part in exhibitions in Botswana and Nigeria and participated in the Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporary Bootcamp and residency program in Ekiti, Nigeria towards the end of 2020.
Kutlo Mabua is a Motswana artist who is on a journey to unearth and interrogate “The Self”, with the ambition to further understand displacement and disruption of it and how it brings a sense of belonging amongst the plural and collective. He believes that everyday human interactions, bonds, conversations even those thought to be insignificant have the most momentous effect on the course of our lives. He often probes the urge to explore the world and immerses himself in human relationships that add to the man he is becoming, all the while staying true to his most authentic identity and not losing himself in the process.
Kutlo expands his philosophy in his portraiture pieces. His intimate portraits employ the meticulous shading technique of pointillism. His works are heavily influenced by the now, so every dot carries the depth of the artist’s emotions, memory, and the present complexities of that particular place and time, making every art piece uniquely personal.
