Ke be ke Raloka

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 140 x 193 cm

Year: 2024

Curatorial Note

In Donald Masoga’s "Ke be ke Raloka," the viewer is confronted with a raw and explosive psychological landscape. Standing at a monumental 140 x 193 cm, the painting’s immense scale immediately immerses the audience in its cacophony of color and frenetic energy. A deconstructed, mask-like face emerges from a chaotic web of drips, splatters, and aggressive brushstrokes, outlined in bold turquoise and pink. This is a significant departure from Masoga's more composed portraiture, delving instead into a neo-expressionist style that values raw feeling over precise representation. The sheer size of the canvas amplifies this effect, making the artist's physical gestures and the layers of paint a tangible presence, forcing the viewer to engage with the work not just visually, but on a visceral, human scale.

The painting’s title, "Ke be ke Raloka," translates from Sesotho to "I was just playing," a phrase that fundamentally reframes its chaotic intensity. What might first appear as an expression of turmoil or aggression is recast as an act of uninhibited, childlike creativity. On this massive scale, Masoga elevates the act of "play" into a powerful artistic statement, exploring the subconscious and the pure, primal joy of creation. The work becomes a testament to the artist's process, a space where instinct triumphs over intention. By giving such a grand stage to a moment of playful experimentation, Masoga suggests that within this freedom lies the very essence of the artistic impulse.