We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roni Zulu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Roni thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

My third grade art teacher knew I had a love and aptitude for art. One day she took me to the library and checked out a book she thought I would be interested in. The book was so large I could hardly pick it up. Upon opening its pages and seeing for the first time the treasures it displayed I was thunderstruck. My backpack was weighed down every day as I did not let this tome leave my possession for weeks. I became obsessed with this book and found myself fixed to its pages whenever possible; it became my bible. At that time I saw the possibilities of my dreams become reality as I did my best to copy much of what I saw in that book. My teacher explained to me who the book was about; and more importantly she told me I was like him. At that point I knew I wanted to eventually have a book that was about me and my dreams.
I knew I was and wanted to be a professional artist.
The book was The Complete Works of Michelangelo.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After attending art college I was employed as a graphic designer/illustrator. Over time I became disenchanted with my job, whose sole purpose was to draw pictures to sell candy bars, soda, furniture, etc. My employers had no concern or appreciation for the emotional and spiritual content of the works of the great Old Masters; it was only about drawing things to get people to buy stuff. The job was no longer feeding my soul; in fact, it was draining me. I quit. I found myself attracted to the tattoo culture, particularily that of the spiritual shamans of indigenous cultures whose body art reflected their sacred beliefs. It was art with deep esoteric meaning. After learning the craft I offered my clients a spiritual aspect of tattooing as opposed to getting drunk with the boys and getting whatever whim suited the intoxication.
I have since retired from tattooing and offer that service on rare occasions. Yet the same mindset has transferred to my current occupation as an oil painter.
My work is a respite from the media constantly infecting our thoughts and conversations to center on the errs of humanity and painting a dismal picture of our race.
The ugliness of our world can only be combated if we realize the beauty within ourselves; and that is what I paint.
My work is a mirror of who we are and celebrates a fascination with ourselves and the wonderful world we live in.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We live in a time where those who have control over the “public art world” have forcefully moved toward abstract art and have all but completly disregraded the works of representational and realistic fine artists. Most galleries you visit will not have the works of realistic painters but will be filled to the brim with abstract art. I’m not speaking ill of abstract works but I do find it disheartening that so many people are not exposed to representational art. When people see my work they often comment with amazement, “I didn’t know people still painted like that.” Being a representational painter brought about great difficulty getting into galleries because they think it won’t sell. The fact is, it won’t sell because the “art world rulers” have convinced the public it has no value and is out of vogue. I did not let this discourage me and drew upon my resilience and belief in myself. I’m happy to say I sell a great deal of work directly from my studio; offering the public the type of works they often only see in museums. My collectors feel a connection with the artistry and craftsmanship of the past brought to our modern age.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I discovered the great value of studying in an artist’s atelier late in my creative development. I had the honor of studying in the atelier of master painter Adrian Gottlieb. This was after attending a traditional art college. I learned more in one season of his atelier than all my time in college.
Master Gottlieb’s atelier was limited to 10 students as opposed to a crowded college classroom.
The purpose was to learn under close supervision and tutalige of a master.
There was no grading system or pressure of pass/fail to obtain a high grade to insure a diploma.
You were there because you sought him out and passed his strict rules of engagement. There was a high level of respect that saturated the room as he pushed us to use his experience to draw upon our own creative intuition.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ronizulu.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zulutheartist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronizulufineartworks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roni-zulu-fine-artworks/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZuluTheArtist
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ronizulufineartworks