LegakwanaLeo Makgekgenene

Bio

LegakwanaLeo Makgekgenene holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Cape Town. Makgekgenene's work is a determined effort to bypass cultural censorship and to counteract the restrictions of toxic traditionalism, producing an elusive critique of state machinery and sociological constructions. Their work currently engages with the evolution of Botswana's women's movements while exploring alternative points of access to critical and radical pedagogies - specifically for black women. Heavily influenced by the traditions, culture, landscape, landmarks and energetic atmosphere in Gaborone, Botswana's capital city, Makgekgenene visually explicates their experiences, the country's history and the nature of its oral and folklore culture through a vibrant culmination of photo-manipulation, animation, sculpture, costumed performance and integrated sound pieces. The resultant works become a space to deconstruct and refabricate understandings of place and identity through the "use of satire and allegorical storytelling to air out the psychological remnants of personal, social and political disillusionment."

Makgekgenene is a co-founder of The Botswana Pavilion which aims to encourage creative and alternative critical engagement of subjective realities amongst art practitioners in contemporary Botswana. The collective interrogates local and regional socio-eco-political issues in an earnest bid to positively influence Botswana's social strata. By enriching the traditional archive through bilateral mentorship, The Botswana Pavilion aims to act as an accessible platform for Fine Art institutions in Botswana, making the viability of artistic practice in the region visible locally.