Clear As Fire

By Amogelang Aysha Ramatena

Image: Torsten Rybka

The dynamic artist Torsten Tebogo 'Clear' Rybka hails from Pretoria, Ga Rankuwa. He attended primary school at Burgher Right School in Pretoria West. He then spent his middle school days at Tsogo High School in Mmakau, before matriculating at Princess Park High School in central Pretoria. After passing his grade 12, he did a year course at PC Training, followed by studying photography at the Tshwane University of Technology (Arts Campus).

He founded and serves as the mentor for Speak Child, a poetry movement which is centered in Pretoria. He had the concept for the movement back in 2015, and its purpose is to create a platform for fresh perspectives; a safe space that poets can refer to as their second home. Speak Child gathers twice a month, typically on Sundays. The Union Buildings host poetry workshops one week and growth seminars the following week. People used to come to him to pick his brain about poetry, and as they increasingly did so, his friends encouraged him to take the opportunity seriously and begin mentoring poets.

The workload of being a mentor is always a challenge no matter what, and who you are – dealing with the pressures of meeting deadlines, assignments, homework, studying for tests and exams, plus trying to satisfy the soul with leisure time is a daunting mission for anybody. The artist makes every effort to maintain a healthy work-life balance; he often works from Tuesday through Sunday, with Mondays serving as his weekends. He works as hard as he can to make sure he has time for himself; if not, he switches quickly between doing work and relaxing. By reading and creating poetry, he reduces his stress and takes care of his mental health. He also manages his mental stability by talking to his best friend and listening to music.

Image: Torsten Rybka

His favourite part of being a mentor is making a difference in the life of new and young poets by helping them to reach their potential and pushing them to go beyond that as well. The least favorite part of being a mentor is when dealing with people who think they know a lot and who are not willing to take positive criticism, or even leave space for growth. He sometimes feels that giving all his wisdom and knowledge about poetry to people and having them give up unexpectedly feels like one has failed them and did not do the most.

He says that his work speaks for itself, thus he does not need to impress anyone. He publishes his work online before presenting it in person. Numerous artists have influenced him, and the exceptionally wise and knowledgeable Ntate Lefifi Tladi, who he regards as his guru, is one of them.

He has collaborated with, and continues to do so, with numerous other art organizations, including Black Labone, Botaki Ba Afrika, and Hear My Voice. He has hosted events for these diverse organizations and performed on their stages.

Because he is a father, Clear values relationships that are genuine, open, truthful, and free-spirited. His worries include remaining in limbo, failing to fulfill his heart's aspirations, and failing to make his son proud. When asked how he copes with being away from his family for an extended period due to his job, he admitted that he gets homesick easily, but he believes work, new people, and new places will keep his mind occupied. Clear champions standing out from the crowd and taking pride in who you are as a person. Although he has not fully revealed all his ideas, he promises that recipients of his handiwork will be in for a treat.

Image: Torsten Rybka