Ep. #44: Revolutionary Legacy - Thero Makepe on Family, Art, and Botswana

🎙️ Welcome to Ep. #44 of The Urbanaut Podcast, presented in collaboration with Urbanautica.com. In this episode, we are thrilled to sit down with Botswana-born artist-photographer Thero Makepe, whose work explores personal and societal narratives through the lens of photography. Thero shares his creative journey, diving into how his projects like “Fly Machine”, "Music From My Good Eye", and "We Didn't Choose to be Born Here" reflect themes of memory, identity, activism, and family legacy. About Our Guest: Thero Makepe Thero Makepe was born and raised in Gaborone, Botswana, and is currently working between Gaborone, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. A graduate with distinction from the University of Cape Town in Fine Arts, his practice focuses on photography, examining the intersection of personal history and national narratives in Botswana and South Africa. He is a founding member of the Botswana Pavilion, an artist collective dedicated to developing Botswana’s artistic archive. Tune in to this episode to: * Explore "Fly Machine", a project paying tribute to a Botswana fighter pilot who sacrificed his life, and how Thero uses photography to explore collective memory and mortality. * Delve into "Music From My Good Eye", a visual “album” dedicated to Thero’s blind grandfather, a jazz musician who fled apartheid, and how this project ties into family history and activism. * Discover "We Didn't Choose to be Born Here", a photobook blending personal stories with socio-political history in Botswana and South Africa. Don’t forget to: * Subscribe to our channel for more in-depth discussions on photography and visual storytelling. * Like and share this episode to celebrate African art and the power of narrative in photography. * Follow us on social media for updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes content.Episode Links: Instagram: @theromakepe Website: www.theromakepe.com OUTLINE:0:00 - Coming Up 4:05 - Thero's Introduction and Artistic Background 6:45 - Early Influences in Storytelling 8:14 - Transition from Painting to Photography 10:30 - Functional Approach to Photography 13:22 - The Impact of His Grandfather’s Blindness 15:57 - Learning to Play His Grandfather's Trombone 22:26 - Great-Uncle’s Role in the Sharpeville Massacre 25:35 - Exploring Family Activism in His Art 44:19 - Childhood Mischief and Artistic Influence 51:25 - Fly Machine Project 1:05:33 - Creating 'Music From My Good Eye' Project 1:17:45 - Reflections on His Role as a Black Fine Arts Graduate 1:39:41 - Connection to Revolutionary Figures in His Family 1:46:52 - The Importance of Being a Cultural Revolutionary 1:54:25 - The Role of Community in His Work SOCIAL: * Twitter: /UrbanautPodcast * Facebook: /TheUrbanautPodcast * Instagram: /TheUrbanautPodcast * Support on Patreon: /TheUrbanautPodcast #TheroMakepe #TheUrbanautPodcast #Photography #BotswanaArt #VisualStorytelling #CulturalIdentity #AfricanArt #ActivismThroughArt #FlyMachine #MusicFromMyGoodEye #WeDidntChooseToBeBornHere #Urbanautica #SteveBisson #PatrickLeeHubbard