02/06/2026
From Pain to Purpose: CUT alumnus takes South African art to the international stage
Raised in a quiet village of Motlatla in Thaba-Nchu to international exhibition spaces in Italy, CUT alumnus and visual artist Ras Silas Motse is transforming personal pain into powerful artistic expression that resonates far beyond borders.
Rooted in healing, resilience, and African identity, his journey as an artist began long before international recognition. As a child growing up in a rural community, drawing became more than a hobby, it became a refuge. “I started as a young cartoonist, using drawing as a way to escape the realities around me,” he reflects. “Art became my safe space where I could process emotions, dream beyond my environment, and create a world that felt calmer and more hopeful.”
After losing both parents to HIV and AIDS at a young age, art evolved into a deeply personal tool for healing and self-discovery. Through sketches on brown paper using coloured pencils, he began documenting memories, emotions, and experiences connected to grief, identity, family, and belonging.
What started as childhood drawings gradually developed into a distinctive artistic language grounded in emotional storytelling, spirituality, and transformation.
Today, his work is recognised for its bold contemporary African geometric style, a signature fusion of realism, abstraction, symbolism, graffiti influences, layered textures, and expressive mark-making. Using mediums such as charcoal, acrylic paint, spray paint, soft pastels, and mixed media, his work explores themes of resilience, healing, ancestry, spirituality, and perseverance. “My work reflects the silent experiences, pain, strength, and resilience that many people carry within them,” he explains. “I want viewers to understand that even through pain and darkness, beauty and growth are still possible.”
His studies at the CUT, played a critical role in refining both his technical ability and conceptual thinking. The university environment encouraged experimentation, discipline, research, and critical engagement with contemporary art practices. “CUT helped me believe that my voice and story mattered as an artist,” he says. “The university shaped my confidence, discipline, and understanding of how art can exist both as personal expression and as a contribution to society.”
The artist credits lecturers, peers, and the creative environment at CUT for helping shape his professional journey. Through collaboration, critique, and creative exchange, he developed a stronger sense of artistic identity and purpose.
Read more:
https://www.cut.ac.za/news/from-pain-to-purpose-cut-alumnus-takes-south-african-art-to-the-international-stage