Artist Profile: Emmanuel Molikoe

Emmanuel Molikoe hails from the Free State and is currently resident at The Viva Foundation in Mamelodi, South Africa. He recently travelled to the U.K for the first time as part of an exchange program organised by The British Council to come to the Watch This Space Project at Six Brixton.
His work captures the energy and vibrancy of Mamelodi and during his stay he created some unique pieces for us on Somerleyton Road. We had a chat with him about his work.
Thanks to The Viva Foundation and The British Council. 

 Where are you from?

I'm from The Viva Foundation of South Africa located in an informal
settlement in Mamelodi,Pretoria,Gauteng province.

What inspires you to paint?

I get inspired by different people cultures, traditional
clothing,their way of building,their life styles and nature.I try to
make most of my painting include old South African houses,mountains
and more although I still struggle with painting traditional clothes
so I mix with the modern clothes in my paintings.

How did you get involved with Viva Foundation?

I was busy looking around Gauteng for a place I can do practicals,so
that I could graduate for a diploma in Art and Design, and a friend
directed me to The Viva Foundation of South Africa. I met Mrs
Kriel (CEO)and I volunteered,so I started working with them,teaching the
kids art.

What is life like in Mamelodi?

There are shacks around mamelodi but there are also  government
houses in other places,so its a mix. The Viva Foundation of South
Africa is located around the shack of which people living in them need
real houses and electricity,so they make their own illegal connections
every time. most people there are struggling because they stay in
those shacks with their families, and there's small space,and most of
them are not working.people there seem OK since we get used the
situation, I've been in mamelodi for some time now and I got used to
the life there, when I'm there life feels normal but there  are many
things we can say about the life in mamelodi,the people there comes
from different places  coming over there for jobs.

Are you enjoying your first trip to London and Brixton?
yes,I'm enjoying it.I see great things here and London is beautiful.

 What was the inspiration behind your paintings on Somerleyton Road?

All I wanted to do is to show people how the local artists work in
South Africa,when I painted on somerleyton road I thought of what
people want to see,so I started with a small village with a
kid,followed by a paint of African instrument(jembe) and the last
spray painting of a kid.I thought people want to see that, and I think
they liked them.

 In Mamelodi

Where can people see your art?

People can see my work in a Facebook page called My Art, my poetry, my soul. And also check out the paintings in Mamelodi at www.viva-sa.co.za

 Mamelodi to Brixton. Somerleyton Road, 2015

 Emmanuel Molikoe, 2015