PRINTRICATE STUDIO
ABOUT
Printricate editions is a Fine Art Printmaking Studios in Namibia. We are an independent Fine Art printmaking studio specializing in Relief and mono printing. The studio aims to teach individuals with class bookings for all experience levels and work with professionals. And we are in heart of Windhoek, Namibia. The studio is fully equipped for making and printing large-scale monotype, monoprint, relief plates. Linoleum plates being our favorite so far. Printricate was founded by Artist- Kabelo Kim Modise in 2017 to promote the most intricates and finest art prints.
STUDIO ACTIVITIES
Printricate Studio is extremely versatile and can be used for a whole host of creative activities. We can run a variety of daytime or evening classes at pre-arranged venues at Beginners level Workshops, Educational workshops. All of our workshops are designed for participants with little or no experience of linoleum and mono printing. We provide professional instruction led by experienced and practicing artists, and founder of Printricate Kabelo Kim Modise. With never more than five people, groups are kept small to allow ample space to make work and so that the printmaker artist can offer you the attentive support whenever you need it, making sure you are able to make the most of your time with us. You will have fun and learn new skills in a .professional, supportive approach.
COCA COLA CONTOUR BOTTLE
As I work a lot with contour lines in most of my work, the Coca Cola contour bottle was just the perfect focus to venture into and take it to the next level of its branding. The only difference was the popular culture behind the contour bottle and what a privileged to explore the popular culture behind the bottle in line with my line signature of creating drapery in every work of art I do or inspired. I believe in something which repeats itself as part of my inspiration. The repeated pattern in each an ever subject matter really pulls my focus to the point of losing the real subject matter as the main focus but rather make it an illusion within the concept.
Contour Bottle as it is known, became part of my drapery signature as an artist. It blended well with my current concept of embracing Coca Cola since last year. The bottle became a stepping stone to accelerate my love for it and the freedom to embrace it to the next level. I think there is a difference between branding and embracing the contour bottle. My ideology is that I am embracing the bottle in a visual aspect and looking further to embrace it in different mediums of art. I feel that if the bottle can repeat its popularity through the years/century, why not embrace it though my linocut medium and painting medium. I had found it a perfect combination to work with and my lines portray movement within the subject matter and I try so much to engage the viewer in an optical manner rather than just still imagery. More drapery in my work is about tricking the eye at its best and by so doing there will be some movement between the artwork and the viewer. The more the viewer squint and bounces back and forth in trying to depict/ look at the imagery of my work, the more I feel content and applauding my accomplishment. It’s not all about hiding the concept or making it difficult to look at, it’s all about the visual practice of embracing the popular culture of Coca Cola contour Bottle.
TITLE 'Contour Bottle 1'
MEDIUM Lino cut
SIZE 600mm X 300mm
YEAR 2015.
ARTY TECHTURAL SPACE
The one interesting aspect of artist, Kabelo Kim Modise, is that his exhibitions always produce something new, which makes one look forward to any new exhibition by the Botswana-born artist.
And so it is with his latest exhibition, titled Arty-tectural Space Art Exhibition, which was opened by Professor Hercules Viljoen . The exhibition encompasses a collection of oil paintings on board and canvas, some linocuts and prints with optical illusions created by using lines. The paintings reflect the architectural space and some reflection of light on a structural space. In this exhibition, Modise's works have changed completely from figurative to structural designed space.
TITLE 'Poor mans Roses
MEDIUM Lino cut
SIZE 405mm X 300mm
YEAR 2014.
LINE OF DUTY
Well-known artist Kabelo Modise will stage his exhibition titled 'Line of Duty' at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) during the month of June.
The exhibition will open of Thursday, 5 June at 18h30 in the Main Gallery.Modise, who was born in Francistown Botswana, obtained a Diploma in Visual Arts from the University of Namibia (Unam) in 2007 and has since worked as an arts instructor, teacher and lecturer in schools and tertiary institution in both Botswana and Namibia. He is currently a textile lecturer at the College of the Arts (Cota).
Modise has been very active on the Namibian art scene and has taken part in over 15 exhibition since graduating, with artist residencies at studios in South Africa and at the Caribbean Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Trinidad and Tobago.
The exhibition will comprise black and white analogue photography as well as linocut prints, made from a sheet of linoleum into which a design has been cut in relief.
TITLE Line of duty 2
MEDIUM Lino cut
SIZE 405mm X 300mm
YEAR 2014.
The one interesting aspect of artist, Kabelo Kim Modise, is that his exhibitions always produce something new, which makes one look forward to any new exhibition by the Botswana-born artist.
Cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, the raised (un-carved) areas represent a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show when printed. The parts of the design which are not printed are cut away. The plate is inked up, usually by a roller, and then transferred to the paper using direct pressure. The part of the block that is cut away surrounds the part that will read as the image. The printing is called direct pressure as the plate is in direct contact with the paper.
The title 'Line of Duty' derives from the way Modise works with lines which he has made his iconography. “I have also engaged freedom fighters such as the Founding Father Sam Nujoma and the former Robben Island prisoner Nelson Mandela as a way to emphasise my theme for the exhibition. They have both accomplished their duties as freedom fighters, as liberators, as presidents and so on. Their line of duty is strong and visible to the world at large,” said KabeloKim.
The Namibian - Tue 30 Apr 2019
THE title of Kabelo Kim Modise's exhibition 'Line of Duty' reminds me of everything to do with war. I visualise weaponry, violence and a detailed history of Namibia's brutal past portrayed in a series of vivid imagery.
Being an avid fan of the first-person shooter video games 'Call of Duty', my mindset is ready and willing to be transported into a historic era (in HD, of course), but knowing Modise's work, it's safer to expect the unexpected.
As I make my way into the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN), I see… apples. Green apples at that, trapped in an oval-shaped net.
Ignoring the cold and emptiness of the gallery, curiosity draws me into a trance-like state and I proceed further to inspect each frame.
Most of the artworks are unique linoleum prints, intricately designed with the help of a skilled hand and a V-shaped chisel or gouge, into seemingly abstract relief. Although I was a reluctant Geography student back in the day, I'm glad I remember the basics of contour lines.
Modise's linoleum works are a perfectly brewed mix of fauna and famous figures embedded in a series of perfect strokes of black, white and grey, but be warned, they are best viewed from up close. Admiring from afar will not induce the same emotional response as the usual scratch-your-head and squint approach, fairly described in an experience I had with one piece in particular.
At first glance, I see little balls of people physically stretched out against a monochromatic background and all I can think of is how sad it is to be tortured like that. There's so much evil captured in that frame and it's beautiful, I think. Those faceless people depicted in bobbles of brown and yellow are in so much pain and it's amazing how I can sense that. Simply genius, sad as it is. I admire the sentiments captured within the frame and confidently boast how well I've figured it out in such a short span of time, until I read the title: 'Rose Connection', to which I scratch my head and squint. And then I see it – beautiful yellow roses in full bloom, thorny and all, to the finest detail.
Significant political figures and past African presidents, such as the late and great Nelson Mandela, are also carefully structured in their linoleum glory and I wonder if this is the theme I'm supposed to spot. Who said politics can't be artistic?
The patriotism Modise displays in his work, including the pula piece from Botswana, which, judging by his background, could be a shout-out to his country of birth, is commendable. His talent and level of skill are evident through careful inspection of each of the pieces and artists would know that this process is scarily difficult. From mirror images and printing to transferring plates using direct pressure, a massive amount of concentration is needed, because one mistake or one contour out of place could ruin the image entirely. One has to admire Modise's craftsmanship.
Sadly, the photographs are not as visually stimulating as I thought they would be – Asian Caribbean beauties in costume posing for a photograph, a young lady showing off her body paint near a stand in black and white… It's more of a 'been there, seen that' type of deal and bluntly put, a keyword away on Google.
A couple of images are interesting enough to linger on for a few minutes, but other than that, it a mystery if visitors would part with N$6 000 for them.
The prices range from about N$6 000 to N$10 000 at most and the collection has plenty to capture your eye, although it is best to choose as carefully as possible.
'Line Of Duty' by Kabelo Kim Modise will be running until 23 June at the NAGN.
By Netumbo Nekomba
TITLE Rest in peace Tata
MEDIUM Lino cut
SIZE 345mm X 178mm
YEAR 2014