Part of the Project
The 2014 Emerging Creatives programme saw a collaboration between some of South Africa’s hottest designers and young up-and-coming creatives. The mentorship programme ran for approximately six weeks, where professional designers and industry leaders helped a number of creatives to develop the quality of their work through constructive advice and feedback.
One of the participants was Katlego Kgabale. We caught up with her to find out what she thought about the programme and being mentored by Veejay Archary, the strategy and creative director of Black Africa Group.
How did the mentorship programme impact your career?
The programme showed me which direction I wanted to follow with my illustrations. It really made it clear to me what I needed to do and how I needed to go about designing and furthering my career because before the programme I was kind of just going with flow.
What was the experience like and what did you learn?
It was a great experience. Seeing people of all different talents and skills throwing ideas at each other was amazing. Seeing how creatives work together to put a project together was truly inspiring. The most important thing I learnt was that time is essential. We hear the phrase “time is money” all the time, but seeing how this affects a business was a real eye opener.
What advice did your mentor give you?
My mentor, Veejay Archary of Black Africa Group, told me something I had forgotten since getting into illustration: “Yes, it's nice having pretty pictures but anyone can draw, anyone can acquire that skill, but what sets you apart is the idea behind the picture."
What will you be exhibiting at Design Indaba Expo?
I will be exhibiting character designs and illustrations. I have a background in animation so all cartoony, quirky images are of interest to me. I may even include a small sculpture or two of characters I have designed… you will have to wait and see.
