Cape Town - As Shakespeare said: “If music is the food of love, play on.”
This is exactly what more than 60 artists and musicians who hail from all over Cape Town are doing.
Their murals can be seen around play parks, schools, swimming pools, stadiums and other venues across the city.
They have now all joined hands as part of a six-month learnership which is born out of the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), the Craft and Design Institute and the national government.
The facilitator is Zeenat Isaacs, who runs an NPO called Supporting Mentorship Through Art (SMART).
Her partner, Rizah Potgieter, who is also part of SMART, has created a number of murals around Cape Town.
The programme is run out of the minor hall in Tafelsig and is composed of band players to fine art, canvas painting, graffiti and charcoal and clothing design.
The aim, Isaacs said, was to empower, and next week the artists are planning to join hands in creating one mural.
“We want to empower and inspire and have an impact on these artists,” said Isaacs.
“This is not just a learnership, but they are provided with work opportunities even with the City of Cape Town for, example, if they are looking for an artist who can do a mural for a stadium, etc.”
For Abdul-Muizz Croy, 24, people are often blown away and stand amazed when they see him creating a mural because he was born with a birth deformity which has left him without his left arm.
Despite this, Croy refuses to give up and was recently recognised by the City of Cape Town for his participation in creating murals using graffiti, portraits and canvas painting.
Croy’s motto is to keep moving forward.
“I am self-taught, I did a few pieces for the City of Cape Town. My artwork can be seen in parts of Athlone, and I worked with an international artist, Katherine Timothy from France, who introduced me to canvas art.
“I have been born like this and I lost my father when I was in high school and I never really had a male figure in my life.
“Even when I was in high school, I did not give up and it took me seven years to complete it.
“I have to keep pushing myself.
“When I am doing a mural, people always stop because they never see someone like me doing something like this.”
Sydney Lewis, from Mitchells Plain, has art flowing through his veins.
His drawing and murals are realistic, and he focuses on self-portraits to make a living, including various paintings at schools.
“I used to struggle with self-portraits and I never gave up until I was better.”
Another is Lee-Anco Adams, from Mandalay, who was in the banking industry and left to pursue his passion for art, specialising in charcoal, and there is “Nativ”, a young woman who designs and creates bags and clothes.
“I also educate young girls in my community how to work with textiles and fabric and how to bake because that is giving them skills for a lifetime,” explained Nativ.