OPINION | Art is art and we have to stop gunning for Rasta The Artist

As much as the country loves to hate Rasta The Artist, we should respect his stylistic choices in his work even if we think they are questionable.

Lebani Sirenje, aka Rasta The Artist, has become one of SA’s hottest celeb portraitists over the past few years. The Zimbabwean-born painter has made a name for himself in the country, and especially in Mzansi celebville.

Though he is no highbrow art school graduate with awards and R1m artworks, his portraits are well-recognised and often a topic of conversation.

If you know Rasta, you definitely know the criticisms that follow him and his work. People often take issue and are even outraged by his depictions of SA’s most famous faces. Often taking to Twitter with his artwork, Rasta’s replies and mentions are full of his critics ready to dish a hot take on his supposed flops and fails.

However, I believe Rasta has been cut a raw deal by the citizens of this country. As much as his paintings can easily be torn apart for their lack of accuracy, at some point we have to accept art is subjective. Most people understand this, but somehow Rasta’s haters often foam at the mouth.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Here’s another reminder that art is subjective and, most importantly, an expression of the self. As a society, we revere artists like Vincent van Gogh, Michaelangelo and SA’s own William Kentridge. We often put them on a pedestal, saying they are artists who have affected human history and inspired the art world for generations to come.

But here’s the thing: they all were criticised during their time. Van Gogh was famously hit with criticisms for his brushstrokes being too crude for the tastes of 19th century Europe.

It has often taken being on death’s doorstep for artist’s masterpieces to get the recognition they deserve. This is a lesson for all of us to learn to appreciate Rasta’s work.

His art is intentional, and don’t forget that

What has also been seen in the criticism is people assuming it is his supposed “incompetence” or “lack of understanding” that leads to his controversial artworks, that he is genuinely incapable of painting someone’s face with accuracy.

However, art is often intentional. Every stroke on Rasta’s canvas was a choice he made. Even if it isn’t, he isn’t afraid to say so.

Even if you want to come for him, he is an example of the beauty that is art: we get to see an artist’s perspective, no matter what you think about it.

In fact, he has addressed his haters and explained why his paintings look the way they do.

His (alive) subjects like his work

The biggest critcism faced by Rasta is that his portraits don’t look like his subjects, but this is not unusual in the art world.

Initially, Rasta mainly painted people in memoriam, which made it hard for the rest of us to know whether his subject would object to being depicted through his lens.

However, the painter has expanded his repertoire to include local and international prominent figures who are alive and doing great things.

While he sure does go against the grain like all the greats, more often than not Rasta’s art has genuinely been shown appreciation by the celebrities he has painted.

Media personality Khanyi Mbau had the TL in stitches when the infamous artist had her as his “muse”. Khanyi was presented with the artwork at the Mzansi Kwaito House Music Awards she hosted last year. 

The actress took to Instagram with excitement about Rasta’s painting. In a video posted to Twitter, Khanyi was LOL-ing at the painting but seemed to truly appreciate the gesture by accepting it.

Musician and DJ Shimza also got the Rasta treatment recently.

He was super-keen to have received the token of appreciation for being one of SA’s most popular DJs. He even defended Rasta, calling him an amazing soul for depicting his likeliness.

The Congo Congo hitmaker had the guts to address the elephant in the room when he received his Rasta “masterpiece”.

“I asked him why he gets paintings wrong and he said, ‘this is what my eye sees, and that’s the art’,” Shimza said.

Now that we know, we should learn to appreciate art for art’s sake.

Rasta is an artist. That title cannot be taken away because Mzansi has an issue with his self-expression. Rasta knows what he’s doing, and we should appreciate the boldness and conversation his artworks offer us.

The bottom line remains: If the people he paints are chuffed with his work, why is Mzansi so pressed about it?