BONNINI ARTRESIDENCY
Welcome statement:
Rethinking our own beliefs and assumptions is like negotiating a new brave journey of hope where we find creative mechanisms of expressing who we are in ways that words alone cannot.
At Bonnini Art Residency, We believe that art has a great potential in helping us navigate through our diverse cultural histories with an awareness of what we each may have to bring to the journey and what we may have to regrettably leave behind.
We therefore welcome Lesoli, our first artist in Residency with hope, that his artistic work will not only open our eyes and hearts.
His talent reminds us of who we are beyond borders of the skin, education and economic background.
Khotso! Pula! Nala!
Peace! Rain! Prosperity!
Mannini Mokhothu
ABOUT ARTIST:
Alvin Lesoli
www.alvinlesoli.com
A 26 years old self taught visual artist practicing figure drawing, portraiture, abstract portraiture and abstract art using various medium including but not limited to charcoal, watercolous, acrylics and oil paints.
Born and raised from Bothe Bothe, Lipelaneng by his grandparents, the last of 2 ophaned brothers.
The Artist discovered his skills at a very young age but was introduced to professional material in the early 2015 and has been practicing since then, nurturing his skill and pushing to limits every medium he touches either by applications that defy the material use or by exploring ways at which material and mediums can be worked around differently, creating narratives in his visual approach, Alvin has developed a signature where he leaves his works seemingly unfinished and justifies his reasons with the saying -"ART IS IN THE PROCESS" by leaving works at this state he reveals to the Audience the process of the making of each works and the raw material at which the artwork sits on.
Alvin has been featured in a few local exhibitions where he showed works done from dry medium like charcoal and ballpoint pen, only in his solo exhibits has he introduced his liquid medium works.
Alvin moved to Maseru in 2016 and has been working from Maqalika since then got employed as an art teacher Consultant.
in 2018 today working as a fulltime artist and an art educator developing projects for Selemela Learning Network.
Alvin Works from life models or photographs capturing emotions from intended subjects to create works that sparks up different conversations, naratives from different groups of people and diverse culture.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Alvin Lesoli believes art is in The PROCESS and not the finished piece, so he tries to reveal the process he undertakes in the making of each piece, leaving parts of the works showing the direction of strokes of charcoal foundations, some are harsh and aggressive, some are subtle and gentle, some reveal a playful sense, some are random others are well planned and placed Looking at Alvin's work, at face value you are presented with dynamics of sweeping strokes of
charcoal markings, compositions of colour, lines, and forms of faces and/or figures that are both physically energetic and powerfully expressive, some are seductive and soft, others are full of emotions, A closer inspection however, reveals a relentless and almost an obsessive search for identity and belonging shown in his passion and the endless unpretentious interests in people
playing with double layered meaning of human expressions, in complete layers of opaque painting which transition into outlines of pencil drawing, a continual play between control and letting go.
ABOUT ART SELECTION:
Mixed media pieces.
A daring, interpretative series, Exposed canvases with strong captures of figures and faces complemented by elements of nature's blooming flowers, birds and/or butterflies in their mature state as a point at which the Artist views his career, in the nature of incomplete pieces the series displays the artists underlying processes, daring the viewer to criticism, a confident, and accomplished body of work.
