August 27, 2004
By Lucille Davie
POLES apart from America's notorious OJ, acquitted on charges of murder in 1996, Johannesburg's unsung celebrity bearing the same initials is the city's newest up-and-coming artist, Obrian Jabulane Zwane, who likes to be called OJ.
Thirty-four-year-old Zwane is a slight, short, quietly-spoken, dreadlocked man but he's smart and very talented. Born in Soweto where he still resides, Zwane is quietly making a name for himself in the city where he has held over 10 exhibitions and has his work on display at two galleries.
He's done almost everything: backdrops, hand-made invitations, murals, oils, pastels, curios, portraits . . . to make it as an artist, Zwane says he has learnt is to be versatile, and not turn down any commissions.
So he's designed invitations for provincial premiers and for President Thabo Mbeki; collaborated with other artists to produce 15 huge paintings for the Johannesburg International Airport; and painted 15 life-size action pictures for the South African Football Association for their 2010 World Cup Soccer bid.
He's had group exhibitions at the Bus Factory and the Electric Workshop in Newtown, the American School in Johannesburg and the Absa Gallery. His first solo exhibition was held at Dastkari Art Gallery in Midrand in June this year, at which he sold six works, two of them to Canadian tourists.
Another lesson he's learnt - from fellow artists Sam Nhlengethwa, Peter Tobias and Mbongeni Buthelezi, artists whom he says are his role models - is that he has to actively market himself. "Things won't come to you, you have to go to them," he says.
With that in mind, he's in the process of getting some 40 artworks together, in anticipation of the next exhibition, whenever that may be. He has 10 ready, stored in the small wooden Zozo hut he works from at home, and is busy working on the others.
Advertising mural
In addition, Zwane promotes himself with an attractive animal mural displayed in his Rockville suburb. It has created a lot of interest, and neighbours pop in to see him work and occasionally buy artworks.
Another successful tactic, he's found, is to approach companies with his portfolio. This brought him a commission: painting the big five on curios like plates, mugs and ostrich eggs. He was also employed for two years by Izandla Design Africa (now liquidated), where he designed invitations and learnt to paint backdrops.
Although he didn't study art at school, he says he has been drawing from the age of six. After matric, he did two years of a three-year course at the Pelmama Academy of Art and Music in Soweto, then joined a small company where he learnt furniture painting. Here he expanded his skills to include marbling, dragging and ragging techniques. Then came the curios and by 29 he was ready to go it alone.
Besides working from home, he also does work from the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre in Sophiatown, where he interacts with other artists, and gets financial help with marketing, transport and materials.
He says his first love is painting township scenes. His portfolio is jam-packed with them - people going about their everyday business, cleverly captured on canvas by him.
His ambition is to one day own his own gallery and studio, where he'll hold art classes, and teach a wide range of art forms, no doubt.
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