He was inspired to make lofty white giraffes after reading about rare white giraffes that were spotted in Kenya a few months ago, and his beaded wire art creations were such a hit that he now makes them in a rainbow of colours.
Wire artist Themba Gatooma, 32, positions the 1.7m giraffes with their spindly front legs and their perky ossicones (horns) on the island at the bottom of Old Transkei Road where it intersects with Batting Road, charming motorists on their daily commute.
Fifty have already been sold.
“I read the story about the white mother and baby giraffes in Kenya on the internet and so I made one and people really liked it so I made more. I’m thinking of making a Christmas giraffe – a white one with a red Santa hat that screws off after Christmas.”
Like any original creative concept, this one too will be copied, but years in the trade have taught Gatooma one thing; you have to stay ahead of the pack.
“If people copy it I will just come up with a new idea,” he shrugs.
Gatooma, who moved to the Eastern Cape from Melville, Gauteng, sold toys on the street before learning the art of wire and bead craft from a friend and discovering his inner artist.
“I didn’t know I was artistic. The first things I made were small bicycles and motorbikes and at first I got blisters from working with the wire.”
After a couple of decades of adept wire twisting, his fingers have developed an armour of calluses so there are no more blisters.
As he speaks to the Saturday Dispatch, Gatooma expertly bends a length of 4mm wire into the shape of Bob Marley’s head.
“A customer gave me a photo of Marley which will take me two days to make,” says Gatooma, as he manipulates the legendary reggae musician’s ear into shape. “I will give him long black beaded dreadlocks. I can make anything to order as long as I have a picture to work from.”
The framework or skeleton is the most important part of the piece.
“It’s like the foundations of a house – they have to be right.”
Once the “skeleton” of the piece is ready, it is wrapped in thinner wire loaded with beads.
Gatooma and his friend and fellow wire and bead artist Great Matongo, 33, spend their days creating pieces with which to stock the street island, as well as keeping up with commissions.
Their “workshop” can be found a few meters from the pavement down a little path strewn with escapee beads.
Matongo laughingly calls the cement slab their office, but it is actually part of the city’s sewerage infrastructure, and the nature of it soon becomes apparent when an unmistakable odour percolates to the surface.
“If the smell gets bad we just walk away, but this is our office and offices differ,” laughed Matongo, while fashioning a large swordfish of wire and shimmering blue beads.
The pair use Chinese glass and plastic beads sourced from Johannesburg, which cost R65 a packet, although black and white beads are a little cheaper.
“It takes four packets of beads to make a giraffe which I sell for R800,” explained Gatooma.
Smaller ones are cheaper.
Despite all this effort and ingenuity, some buyers insist on haggling.
“Some say it is expensive, but they don’t know how hard it is to make and how expensive the materials are. If they don’t have enough money I understand,” said Matongo, “but some say it in such a way that you feel insulted.”
Both men dream of an easier life where living hand-to-mouth is not part of their daily existence.
Asked who would be his ideal customer, Gatooma gives the question a lot of thought.
“Obama,” he says finally. “I’d like to make a statue of Obama and sell it to him. Because I respect him.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Determined to stand tall
Wire artist Themba Gatooma, 32, positions the 1.7m giraffes with their spindly front legs and their perky ossicones (horns) on the island at the bottom of Old Transkei Road where it intersects with Batting Road, charming motorists on their daily commute.
Fifty have already been sold.
“I read the story about the white mother and baby giraffes in Kenya on the internet and so I made one and people really liked it so I made more. I’m thinking of making a Christmas giraffe – a white one with a red Santa hat that screws off after Christmas.”
Like any original creative concept, this one too will be copied, but years in the trade have taught Gatooma one thing; you have to stay ahead of the pack.
“If people copy it I will just come up with a new idea,” he shrugs.
Gatooma, who moved to the Eastern Cape from Melville, Gauteng, sold toys on the street before learning the art of wire and bead craft from a friend and discovering his inner artist.
“I didn’t know I was artistic. The first things I made were small bicycles and motorbikes and at first I got blisters from working with the wire.”
After a couple of decades of adept wire twisting, his fingers have developed an armour of calluses so there are no more blisters.
As he speaks to the Saturday Dispatch, Gatooma expertly bends a length of 4mm wire into the shape of Bob Marley’s head.
“A customer gave me a photo of Marley which will take me two days to make,” says Gatooma, as he manipulates the legendary reggae musician’s ear into shape. “I will give him long black beaded dreadlocks. I can make anything to order as long as I have a picture to work from.”
The framework or skeleton is the most important part of the piece.
“It’s like the foundations of a house – they have to be right.”
Once the “skeleton” of the piece is ready, it is wrapped in thinner wire loaded with beads.
Gatooma and his friend and fellow wire and bead artist Great Matongo, 33, spend their days creating pieces with which to stock the street island, as well as keeping up with commissions.
Their “workshop” can be found a few meters from the pavement down a little path strewn with escapee beads.
Matongo laughingly calls the cement slab their office, but it is actually part of the city’s sewerage infrastructure, and the nature of it soon becomes apparent when an unmistakable odour percolates to the surface.
“If the smell gets bad we just walk away, but this is our office and offices differ,” laughed Matongo, while fashioning a large swordfish of wire and shimmering blue beads.
The pair use Chinese glass and plastic beads sourced from Johannesburg, which cost R65 a packet, although black and white beads are a little cheaper.
“It takes four packets of beads to make a giraffe which I sell for R800,” explained Gatooma.
Smaller ones are cheaper.
Despite all this effort and ingenuity, some buyers insist on haggling.
“Some say it is expensive, but they don’t know how hard it is to make and how expensive the materials are. If they don’t have enough money I understand,” said Matongo, “but some say it in such a way that you feel insulted.”
Both men dream of an easier life where living hand-to-mouth is not part of their daily existence.
Asked who would be his ideal customer, Gatooma gives the question a lot of thought.
“Obama,” he says finally. “I’d like to make a statue of Obama and sell it to him. Because I respect him.” — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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