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Rouxville-based painter Vuyisile Adoons shares his journey

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Rouxville-based painter Vuyisile Adoons says becoming an internationally acclaimed painter does not happen overnight. This is the hard lesson he had to learn quickly.

The past six years have seen him refine his work to give it a distinct voice in the market.

Adoons says he is glad that he had an opportunity to learn and finally find his niche.

With his smartphone and paintbrush in hand, Adoons crafted his dream life. After his big city dreams failed to pan out in Johannesburg, the young Rouxville lad packed his bags and headed back to his dusty hometown.

Dreams of making it big were shattered by a stint in retail. Yet this is where the wild dream of becoming an internationally recognised painter would materialise.

Through his work, Adoons depicts the simple life of this small town and brings back to life the spirit of his grandparents, who raised him.

“It didn’t happen immediately, trust me. This is 2016, 2017, 18. In art, what happens is you have to find your own style. Your work has to talk to the audience, your work has to talk to the viewer. If somebody is looking at your work they should be wowed, this is so beautiful. So, I had to sit down and find my own signature style, so that people can say, you know what, this work is not like any other work we have seen.”

His knack for drawing started showing when he was still in primary school.

Adoons says this eventually translated into painting.

“My classmates back in the day, we used to draw maps and sketches from biology, and geography and they used to bring their books. I used to have like tons and tons of books and they would ask me to draw for them. You know how they paid me back? They gave me pencils, and erasers; they gave me what else, pens. So, that’s how they paid me. So, that is when my interest started.”

Adoons sharpened his natural-born talent with a Diploma in Art and Design from Central Johannesburg College. He has been painting for six years and in 2019 he made his first international sale.

He says he knew that the waiting was worth it when he made his first international sale.

“Independently, I have sold artworks to Australian clients, New York, I’ve sold two artworks in New York, and I’ve sold two artworks in Utah recently. I’ve sold artwork in Europe, Portugal, Northern Island, UAE you name it. So, I have been earning a living, making a living. You know what it means for me, it means I can share a part of me. For me to share a part of me with the world is quite a humbling feeling.”

Some of his works have been featured on national projects including the National Museum 2020-2021 annual report cover, a commissioned work of President Cyril Ramaphosa,  as well as a painting of OR Tambo that is hanging in the OR Tambo Building headquarters of the Free State provincial government.

Author-Kamogelo Seekoei 

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