It’s not every day that you get to design sneakers for one of the biggest apparel brands in the world and have those sneakers sold out within 72 hours. And just when you’re trying to process that, you see iconic athletes, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade, wearing your work. This is not a fairytale, but the reality of Karabo Poppy Moletsane. A 29-year illustrator from Vereeniging, South Africa, Moletsane has always loved art from an early age, however, it is not something she envisioned as a career. At the time, it was just a hobby to keep her off the streets, and today, she is one of the most celebrated street artists in Africa. 

“My mom always tells me I was that kid that preferred to stay indoors and draw rather than play outside. I remember being so drawn to creativity and artwork, pretty much all forms of artwork was something that I found interest in," she says. Her art journey was nourished when she started school, but she still insisted on keeping it a hobby. 

Coming from a place that didn’t have many artists or art galleries, it was challenging for Moletsane to see it as a possible career. She decided, together with her parents, that she would study medicine. But that all changed at 18, when she started learning more about the world of design. Her substitute art teacher saw her potential and asked her if she wanted to pursue a career in arts, but Moletsane wasn’t sure because she had not seen people who look like her become extremely successful from just doing art, especially where she came from.

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Choosing an unconventional path

When it was time to attend open days at different higher learning institutions, Moletsane’s teacher convinced her to visit a school called Open Window Institute. It was not far from the University of Pretoria, where she had planned to go with her parents to enquire more about the medical field. “My father and I went to Open Window, and he helped me collect pamphlets for my art class. I found myself listening to everything that was being said about the world of design, visual communication, and all of these interests I’ve had growing up,” the creative says, “Going to that open day made me realise that I could be one of the people that are starting this change. The university would be able to equip me to do that. I felt a deep responsibility to explore this and see the opportunities there, and be the first person to say medicine would be my backup plan." 

When she told her father about her new plan, he wasn't happy about her decision, but Moletsane was adamant about art. The following week back at school, she told her peers that she would be a designer one day and fast forward to a few years later, her words became true. 

Dreams becoming reality

Although at first her parents didn’t support the idea, they eventually warmed up to it and allowed her to spread her wings as far as she could. “My parents weren’t really happy with my decision, but now I’ve seen a mindset change. They are some of the biggest advocates in encouraging young people to go into the creative space, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do; change the mindset or start a conversation that’s going to be looking at Black creatives differently," she says. Moletsane feels that once you have your parents' support, it's easier, as a young Black creative, to focus on the work you're creating rather than possible disappointments or unemployment and all the things that could distract you. 

Moletsane’s work has shone on Ricoffy tins, Billboards, Nike sneakers, music covers and many more places. She has worked with a number of brands, including Bright Walls Mural Festival, she’s painted a mural at Soweto Towers and illustrated the beautiful, Black and classic Disney character, Thalia from Hercules, for Pride Month. She was commissioned by the Utah Jazz to transform a blank wall in downtown Salt Lake City, she collaborated with Rich Mnisi to create the 'Running Errands' capsule collection, and designed three Karabo Poppy X Nike Air Force 1 collections. “Seeing my work celebrated gives me a sense of relief because I took a risk going into this. I feel inspired to continue. It seems like when I started, a few Black creatives, like myself, were highlighted and held in high esteem. If you put in hard work and effort to it, there is a level of success that you can reach,” she says. 

The likes of Lebron James and Dwyane Wade wearing sneakers that she designed is something Moletsane still can’t wrap her mind around. When she received a call from Les Green, the creative director of Nike at the time, she couldn’t believe it. The brief she received thereafter gave her the freedom to tell whatever story she felt was important and close to her, and she decided to tell the story of her journey. “Growing up, I was influenced by African American culture, and the Nike AF1 was something that I’d seen amazing athletes, musicians and artists wear. It was always featured whenever I saw African-American people do great things. That’s when I started my journey of loving AF1 because it was a shoe I associated with creative Black excellence,” she says, “So I decided to tell the story of my journey. How the past in my country led us into the current situation. But then, what keeps us going is the potential that our country and our continent have, and being excited to see us reach that potential. Seeing the story so specific to an African experience [and] being something that the people all over gravitate towards was like a dream come true.” 

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Space is the limit

Moletsane, who is also a fashionista, showcases her work in fashion. She uses her body as a canvas to explore her unique style. “Fashion is something that I’ve always been drawn to. It’s super diverse, but the canvas stays the same. It's something that has always interested me. I also adopted it from my parents. When they show me their old photos, I can tell that they can dress,” she beams. 

Speaking of her parents, Moletsane says her father is her biggest inspiration and the reason behind her greatness. “He always challenges me, and seeing how far he’s come in life is my biggest inspiration. My dad has been a person who does everything that he preaches. He always used to say ‘nothing is impossible’ and instilled that in me. Although he was at first not excited about my creative journey, seeing him make an effort to understand it and still be supportive is something that meant a lot to me,” she adds. 

Her biggest dream is to explore space and leave her mark there, “I’d love to be the first illustrator in space and be able to explore my creativity [there]. That’s something that always excites me. Making space accessible and taking parts of our culture into space and vice versa would be an accessibility accomplishment. My next goal is to think of how to be the first illustrator in space and create art around that. Maybe a mural on the moon."

Moletsane finds joy in highlighting everyday people in her work. She uses them as her subject because she feels that the reason why the African aesthetic, the South African one specifically , is so strong and still exists despite the influence of globalisation and Western influence is that everyday people carry it within and among themselves. 

“I love to highlight how we’re able to still have this beautiful aesthetic because of the everyday person. The everyday person is not someone that’s always celebrated but I think that is why we are strong and that’s what ensures the longevity of our culture. I see every daySouth Africans as the heroes of our aesthetic.”