Naledi Maifala
My name is Naledi Maifala. Naledi means Star, I find it quite fascinating that my name resembles nature, that old saying from our parents on how names are a reflection of who we become is surely creeping into my life, I live and breathe nature. I am currently based in Botswana, in the outskirts of Gaborone, in a village called Kopong. I have been doing painting since my junior years (2007), and have only begun doing professional art on the year 2022.
I am inspired by nature and its unending lessons (metaphorically and literally). I find myself drawn to the topic of stillness and contentment whenever am around nature. In the Year 2021, I lost my father due to cancer. It was in the midst of taking care of him that I found myself pre occupied in the garden. While taking care of him, moments when he was asleep, I would go out into the yard and do gardening with my mother, while planting and harvesting, I was overwhelmed with joy, stillness and contentment in my heart. The pain that kept on inviting itself into my heart due to my father’s illness was suppressed by my therapeutic moments around nature, and since then I find myself around nature a lot. I love being in the park, in the garden, or any place outside the city.
My photography skills help me capture moments in nature such as light and color, which bring a soothing, calm feeling to my heart, I then further explore images captured onto my canvas. I use mixed media (paints and crayons) to express my explorative, fun and calm personality. I hope my work will create a visual meditative space for you, to tap into your spiritual, psychological and emotional health.
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