Meet the man behind Springs Art Gallery’s vision

Thabo Sekoaila is the Springs Art Gallery’s visual curator, whose artistic career started from an early age, having shown interest in drawing and sculpting.

Growing up in the village of Flora Moletjie in Polokwane, he was always fascinated with architectural design and the building of structures.

In pursuit of artistic knowledge, he studied towards a diploma in Fine Arts at Wits Technicon, known as the University of Johannesburg. In 2003, he obtained a BTech degree majoring in sculpture.

Sekoaila participated in various exhibitions, curatorial projects and peer tutoring programmes before joining Springs Arts Gallery. He speaks with pride when he describes what he loves about working at the gallery.

“It offers enjoyable experiences to the world of art, culture, design, business, creativity and life from a perspective of a Black African to contribute to re-defining the world of art and who we are.

“The space also allows one to learn how to look, be selective about what you dive into, and not be afraid to ask questions or engage with others,” he said.

Sekoaila’s job includes accepting submissions for curatorial projects and exhibitions by emerging artists in all media.

“Artists, curators, visual arts organisations or collectives need to approach the gallery by submitting a proposal with portfolios of their works for consideration. They book the gallery space for a limited period and cover the costs of running the exhibition,” he explained.

He said the best approach to viewing exhibition pieces is to view them as a cohesive entity, and not a single piece, as it will allow you to grasp the curator’s vision and the artist’s intentions more effectively.

“Viewing an art exhibition as a unified artwork can also be a deeply satisfying experience, offering a holistic perspective that transcends individual pieces.

“ This approach allows for a richer understanding of the exhibition’s overall theme, concept, and the relationships between the artworks,” Sekaoila said.

He added the gallery’s vision and mission reflect the cultural diversity of South Africa; promote visual literacy, making the visual arts accessible to everyone, and exhibit emerging talent.

“The team at Springs Art Gallery has this dream to see the gallery physically growing into a major art gallery with all required infrastructure such as office space, conservation studio, technical workshop, proper storerooms, lecture theatre, more exhibition halls and education studio,” he said.

Sekaoila concluded by saying the community can engage with the gallery through the city’s communications media, such as Facebook, Twitter (X), or TikTok, to stay informed on their outreach or community development programmes.

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