MICHELINE TETA, a Rwandan female painter who just entered the visual arts industry, is planning what’s likely to turn out to be her biggest exhibition so far, in August this year. “As a young but rising painter, I want to achieve big things. And after all the small steps I took, it is time for me to think and act big. My exhibition will be one of the big steps I hope to take,” said Teta. Having started out painting as a full-time occupation only this year, Teta says the upcoming event will be her first-ever exhibition. When Teta started doing semi-abstract and portraits, her style as a painter, many people didn’t believe that a girl or any young lady could take a brush and paint an empty canvas. But she went on to surprise many when she posted the first part of her art, named Memories, at the beginning of the year. Teta said the support from her parents and family is among the things that helped her strive and move forward every time she felt discouraged from the different challenges she met along the way. “I get my inspiration from everything around me, even some things some people might not notice,” he told The New Times. And she’s not oblivious to challenges in the sector. “For instance, Rwandan society doesn’t understand the pricing of paintings.” The 22-year-old artist continued saying that finance has also been a challenge since the materials used for painting are too pricy. Teta plans on expressing and showing some of the challenges she met as a young painter and how she overcame some of them in her upcoming exhibition slated to take place in August. “I think the exhibition will be a big inspiration for many young minds with dreams, it’ll also be a form of healing for many,” Teta added. She advised young painters to take each challenge they face as an opportunity to sharpen them in the pursuit of their dreams. “They shouldn’t wait to find their own style or copy someone else’s style. Instead, they should express themselves in their own way, painting is a step-by-step process and you have to give it time,” she said.
