Ras Silas Motse

I reflect on the outer image and the inner image of myself with my portraiture concepts.  I go beyond the surface to trying to find my own identity while questioning  my everyday existence.   I often question what it is that make us who we are. In my recent work, “Ke Mohumagadi?” or (“Am I the Empress?”); I seek to re-construct portraiture art using deconstructed memories of my mother. What I have discovered is within the blended memories;  Is that, I am them but they are not me.  I create to learn more about myself and the world I live in. I seek answers from my work; although usually  within the questions that I set out to answer, I only find more questions.  My work is inspired by the desire to learn, discover and explore.  

 I reflect on the outer image and the inner image of myself with my portraiture concepts.  I go beyond the surface to trying to find my own identity while questioning  my everyday existence.   I often question what it is that make us who we are. In my recent work, “Ke Mohumagadi?” or (“Am I the Empress?”); I seek to re-construct portraiture art using deconstructed memories of my mother. What I have discovered is within the blended memories;  Is that, I am them but they are not me.  I create to learn more about myself and the world I live in. I seek answers from my work; although usually  within the questions that I set out to answer, I only find more questions.  My work is inspired by the desire to learn, discover and explore. 

As I discovered myself and struggled to find acceptance at the university,  I was inspired to grow my locks.  Because my hair was already locking itself naturally, I decided to nurture them. Unfortunately the decision increased discrimination against my hair. I became associated with negative connotations.  I was often mistaken for or classified as drug dealer, “lebaida” (a beggar), “ngaka ya ditaola e loyang” (a witch doctor) and “legodu” (a thief).  In this contemporary society hair is everything.  People pay thousands of rands and other currencies to maintain hair, some even go on a journey to buy natural hair.  As anyone who’s ever received a really good or a really bad haircut knows,  your hair is so much more than just a look;  it can be both a reflection and a reinforcement of who you are.  Sometimes your hair speaks for you, even when you don’t say a thing. If you have a long, curly, blonde mane, the World is going to see you differently than someone with kinky coilly hair. It’s intensely personal, but it’s also totally public.  We can change it so easily in ways that we can’t change any other part of our body.  It becomes a reflection of who that person is; a sign of our identity.

 My interest in drawing portraits of people rocking their natural hair in any form and style, with a modern/contemporary look is influenced by the Old Rastafarianism Movement versus the modern version. There is great pride is how Rastafarians emancipated from the past and constructed unshakable barrier of negative connotation towards the movement. I am also proud to engage with the contemporary concept of hair across South Africa and worldwide. I believe my theme will give people insight and encourage self introspection and reevaluate what is true identity and culture to channel their life.