Malebogo Molokoane in a 'happy place' as she prepares for US exhibition

Fine artist Malebogo Molokoane has described her first three months in the US as an exhilarating experience.

As Sowetan first reported in January, the 34-year-old from Tlhabane, Rustenburg, scored a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when she was named as a recipient of the Chrysler Museum of Art Student Assistantship programme in Norfolk, Virginia.

She is now halfway through her stint at the museum.   

“It has been a culture shock living in Norfolk,” Molokoane says in our catch-up telephone interview. The city is six hours behind Joburg, so we connect as she is rushing to the museum in the morning.

“It’s a quiet city, and people are often indoors due to the weather. In the area where I stay, people are friendly. In Virginia, their car registration plates are written ‘Virginia for Lovers’ because there are so many couples, and they are too obsessed with their pets.

“I’ve also attended my first ice hockey match, which was thrilling.”

Sowetan first met the former Tshwane University of Technology Glass Studio lecturer hours before she boarded her plane to the US in January.

Molokoane’s glass artworks first caught our attention when she was named the 2022 Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award recipient. Part of her prize was a three-month art residency in Paris and a solo exhibition at the Absa Gallery in Johannesburg.    

“When we first arrived, Norfolk had experienced its first snowfall in three years. The snow was so bad, they shut down the city. Nobody could go to work or school — even the shops were closed,” she says

“There are no Ubers — I was like, what? [People] use scooters to get around if they don’t own a car. Moving around the town is a little challenging.”

The Chrysler Museum of Art attracts international and US visitors and hosts live demonstrations, exhibitions and classes where Molokoane and her fellow assistants help the instructors.

“The museum is always busy, and with the recent renovations, the number of visitors has also increased. We have visitors come from all over the world and the museum is open every day. That includes The Perry Glass Studio, where people come in to sit and watch live demos by the instructors, and we get to assist,” says Molokoane. 

“I’ve enjoyed interacting with the university students who come in and facilitate the programmes. As well as a local disadvantaged youth group, and listening to them share their experiences and engagement with the glass medium.”

Molokoane is one of eight international emerging glass artists selected for the programme. She and fellow SA glass artist, Thato Kokwana, are the only Africans.  

“Learning from one another has been amazing because we all come from different backgrounds and have different strengths and techniques. It’s become an exchange of expertise between us [assistants] and we try to rotate our [glass]blowing spots, so we get the opportunity to learn from one another,” she says. 

Molokoane and the other assistants have been preparing for their glass-art exhibition showcase at the museum in June.   

“Every Monday, we have a professional development class where we polish our presentations, draft our artist statements and work on our biographies. Each week they give us tasks and we present them to our instructors,” she says. 

Though she has pangs of homesickness, Molokoane is grateful for the opportunity to pursue her passion.   

“I can feel myself progressing and learning. I’ve grown a lot in my craft, especially in glassblowing, because I didn’t have much experience coming in, and I’m fortunate, I get to practice on my off-duty days,” she says.

“I’m at my happy place because I’m doing something that I love so much. I’m grateful for the opportunity and for learning each day. All that is missing is SA food — yoh! I miss stew, dumplings and spinach. Nothing beats SA when it comes to food.”