Motswana painter Thebe Phetogo is interested in the idea of origins, and his work weaves between figurative and abstract landscape painting, exploring the themes of race and Setswana geography, mythology and knowledge systems.

In the words of writer Thulile Gamedze, painter Thebe Phetogo is "a reckless undoer, searching for the belly of black landscape representation, by moving across decades and spaces with speed and uninhibited approximation." 

His paintings "float before green and blue screens – infinite-potential surfaces – whose effect is to muddy the very idea of ‘the beginning’. In this way, the green scenes could be said to allude to every possible point of origin. 

The name of the exhibition Ko ga Lowe is a shortening of a Setswana phrase which literally translates as "Ever since the place of Lowe'' but is used to express variations of "Ever since the beginning/forever/a really long time ago". Thebe Phetogo is most  interested in exploring ideas that relate to – "At the beginning."

Lowe is part of the Setswana creation myth, thought to be place out of which human beings and animals emerged. 

The exhibition runs until April 5 and visits are by appointment only. Book here. The artist will be part of an Open Studio event on April 18 at the Bag Factory in Newtown. Request the catalogue here and follow Guns & Rain on Instagram @gunsandrain.