Kamohelo Blessing Rooi is a South African artist born in the province of Gauteng in 2001. Rooi’s works are inspired by his environment, through his paintings he shows his personal and intimate connection to the township and interrogates the emotional landscape of Soweto, where he currently lives and works.
What is your intention in creating artwork?
My environment appeared in my practice last year: I began documenting my neighborhood, the people around me, and the surrounding landscape to showcase us in a positive light. My art aims to celebrate black people and to appreciate the human experience. I want to capture everyday life to show appreciation and celebrate the simplicity of life. My inspiration comes from my roots and the land where I come from.
Your paintings are personal and very emotional compositions. But how can we interpret them from a global perspective?
Art is a spiritual medium that helps us understand and appreciate who we are and what we do. When I paint, I am delving into my inner self, dealing with my thoughts and emotions, and making myself vulnerable. I portray my love, grief, empathy, and appreciation, capturing our happiest and most difficult times. Even though my art is deeply personal, I always consider what might be meaningful to others from my own experiences. I aim to depict the human experience, which is not black or white. Art transcends boundaries; it is a deeply human expression that has captured the essence of our lives for centuries. So, even as I express my personal thoughts and feelings through my art, I am always reflecting on our shared experiences that can resonate with others.
How can your art be a part of resilience?
Resilience, to me, means believing in what I am doing. Even during tough times, I persevere because I believe in myself and my art. Life presents numerous challenges, but we endure because we recognize that even darkness has its end. I have confidence in myself, the people around me, and my surroundings, regardless of the circumstances. This, to me, is resilience.
What does black joy mean to you?
Black joy is something that has to deal with representation. For a long time, we experienced a lack of representation of African art. African art was not acknowledged or valued as art, leading to a lack of representation. This lack of representation, combined with the various struggles and traumas experienced by black people, can have a negative impact on their lives. But if we can learn who we are, where we come from, and where we are going, we can feel a sense of security and tranquility. Black Joy aims to bring visibility to African art and black people in a positive manner. In my work, I strive to celebrate black culture and showcase how small things can bring happiness and balance to the world. My art cannot serve the past, I cannot document the hardships, and struggles of black people. But in fact, I'm trying to bring the positive things, the happy moments, or people who feel beautiful in their own skin, in their own identity, in their own ways. It’s black joy because now we can celebrate our things and ourselves like never before.
We can see many things in your paintings, like cars, clothes, and everyday objects. What do these symbolize?
Life is full of beautiful things that I want to capture. These materials are extracted from our soil and can be used in our lives. They show that we as human beings are powerful and have the talents and skills to create or produce objects. These things remind us of our potential for self-improvement and our deep connections to each other.
You use flat brushstrokes and flat layers, yet your works also have a strong spatiality How do you play between two and three dimensions?
In the past, I used to work with negative spaces and round brushstrokes, mostly sticking to one color. However, recently, I've been creating more detailed pieces that include recognizable elements such as landscapes, houses, and nature. I enjoy combining different elements to move away from a purely realistic representation. Using flat brushstrokes helps me strike a balance between reality and appearance and allows me to convey my thoughts more effectively. Nonetheless, I'm still exploring new ways to express myself visually.
You have used charcoal and soft pastels before. Why did you decide to change to acrylic?
I was about 15 years old when I became more conscious of my art. It was around 2015 when I discovered Nelson Makamo, a South African artist who uses charcoal, oil, and printmaking to depict the beauty of his village and African children. His works inspired me to start using dry techniques like charcoal or pastel. I discovered my drawing skills first, but as the years passed I realized that my style was not quite good because I just mimicked someone else’s style. I didn’t feel that dry techniques could fully express my thoughts. So I began my journey to find my own voice and style. I started using acrylic because it dries fast, allowing me to work more freely and express my ideas spontaneously.
How do you choose your colors?
The brushstrokes and the colors are a great way to express my emotional and physical connection to the landscape and capture its essence. I am drawn to vibrant colors as well as natural tones.
Your figures are visually very connected to the landscape. How do you represent black figures on the canvas?
When there are figures in a painting, you can be engaged with them and when you see a landscape behind a figure, you’ll know where that person comes from because that figure occupies that space. Seeing black people immersed in their own surroundings reflects a sense of belonging and ownership, even though we may not own the land. It signifies a responsibility to care for the land and pass it on to future generations. This land is our home, and we must nurture and protect it for the future.
Your paintings are collage-like. How do you compose?
I use my phone on a daily basis. Sometimes I search for inspiration on social media, and other times I use it to edit my photos and create compositions with different elements before sketching on canvas. I enjoy combining things to extend the dialogue and narrative of a painting.
How do you use digital technologies or the digital world in your art?
Digital technologies are great tools that enhance my art. I use my phone to take pictures, I use my printing machine to print out images. So technology should not stifle creativity. It should enhance our ability to continue with our job of doing art. Without technology, I don't think I would be able to paint freely. Technology can help us to achieve our desires and our dreams.
I know that the ‘arts and crafts’ movement also inspired you. How did it affect you?
I am a self-taught artist who has tried a lot of techniques and materials like printmaking, graphics, and clays to find my own voice. Attending arts and crafts classes also helped me appreciate the value of being self-reliant and taking responsibility for my creations. As a child, I was not good in school but I was gifted using my hands. So I always did something manual to express my feelings and thoughts. The arts and crafts movement has encouraged me to be more daring in my experimentation. In my upcoming work, I want to try transfer techniques to combine different surfaces and periods.
Some of your compositions are built like a mosaic: on the canvas, there are various images next to each other. It reminds me of comics as they have a strong storytelling aspect.
I love that you mention this because I also view my paintings as being similar to animations. I’ve seen a lot of cartoons that must have inspired me as well. Like cartoons tell a story, I also want to convey a story with my paintings. Using this structure has helped me realize that I just want to be a storyteller through my paintings.
One of my favorite paintings from you is the one called In My Mother’s Garden. Would you talk about it a bit?
It shows some nostalgia for my past, my land, and my mother. I believe that honoring something is a way of respecting the legacy that was left behind. Even though my mother is no longer with us, we are left with memories and items that she left behind, serving as a reminder of how fast time passes. That's why my art is about celebrating and cherishing what brings joy because nothing lasts forever.
In the background of the painting, you can see a growing plant, symbolizing the next generation that is growing from us. This painting also represents the beauty of Mother Nature, who is always present to nourish us. While I painted this canvas, I thought about my responsibility as a human being to take care of the environment and as an artist with the ability to make the world a better place for future generations.
As I’m listening to you, I believe your paintings are connected to the past, to the present, and also to the future.
Respecting the past helps me understand the present, which shapes my future. We came into this world unknowingly, but gained knowledge to enjoy its benefits, like planting a seed and waiting for the right time to harvest the fruit.
What does your day look like?
I wake up very early, clean my studio, take a bath, eat, then contemplate and meditate. Because I really believe that before I start to paint, I need to relax. Because the creating process requires a lot of attention and emotional investment that’s why you need to get prepared mentally. After working it's time for me to sleep because sleeping is essential for an artist to be able to focus. I have a schedule that I follow.
Which artists inspired you?
I've been inspired by a variety of artists, both African and European. Nelson Makamo, Wonder Buhle Mbambo, and Jean-Michel Basquiat have been particularly influential. Jean-Michel Basquiat was living in America, he was facing discrimination and segregation, a lot of violent things, but he kept going making art no matter what. But let’s not forget that he had a great friend, Andy Warhol who took care of him as a mentor, as a friend, and as a father. It’s also a reminder that we need to take care of our loved ones because they help us to remember who we really are and what we are really capable of. I also love how Basquiat broke the rules in the art scene.
Are you also a rule breaker?
As a self-taught artist, yes, I am. And this thought goes back to Picasso, who once said “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist”. I need to learn techniques, I need to connect with art experts, and attend art fairs and openings so I am going to be recognized. I can understand the system of art, those are the rules. But I also have to break them, free from them to focus on what I’m doing from deep inside.
What are you actually working on?
I almost finished a painting, but I didn't like it, so I'm going to start over. The painting will celebrate love through marriage. The idea came to me as I was scrolling through my photo book. The composition will feature a beautiful couple dressed in their wedding attire, and dancing.