In his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, Radebe used to be part of a gang called Skyf. In the gang, he would often create graffiti.
Many people believe graffiti to be a scourge of urban areas, a sign of discontent and crime. Radebe disagrees. He says that graffiti artists are also poets, social commentators, painters, and more. He sees their value in society rather than what’s bad about them — the crime.
Radebe admits that he took part in several instances of crime, including stealing his medium — spray paint. He also says that he took several risks with his gang, including encounters with true, hardened criminals and the authorities. But Radebe maintains that art done under duress is better than art done in a studio.
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His graffiti crew started branching out, doing their pieces in many different ways. Sometimes, they even brought paintbrushes to put in details of a work.
Now, Radebe is a true artist, off the streets but bringing the streets to exhibit spaces. He’s often commissioned for legitimate murals, instead of graffiti. Otherwise, he enjoys constructing mazes, painting the inside of them for all to enjoy.
Take a class on mural painting today to explore all the different places it can take you. Teachers won’t recommend that you participate in graffiti, which is illegal in many locations around the world, but you can, if interested, use some graffiti themes or techniques when learning about mural painting.