Rant-en-Dal’s Adriaan an artist of note

Paintbrushes, a canvas and imagination are all that is needed for an artist to create a masterpiece.

That is indeed the case for Rant-en-Dal artist Adriaan Etsebeth, who is a huge rugby fan and hopes that his artwork will influence and shape people’s perspectives.

His art is not only visually stunning but something that resonates with many people with its hidden messages and meanings.

Adriaan has been working as a freelance painter since 1999, with some of his best work featuring well-known rugby players and the management team of the Blue Bulls. Interestingly, despite being a passionate Stormers supporter, Adriaan believes that the beauty of art lies in breaking the rules when necessary.

“I was asked to paint Blue Bulls Legends and part of it was to do a life-size painting of Oom Frik du Preez for the lounge named after him. I would also be introduced to the owners of the Bulls and other stakeholders who might be interested in consignments of great players of the past like Naas Botha and Jannie Brooks.”

Adriaan himself was a rugby player in the good old days.

“I played for the then South African Army’s fourth team in 1982 as a winger. At that time I also served in the army being part of a team of engineers.”

In addition to his conscription, he worked as a project manager at Wits University in the commercial enterprise department. Adriaan has developed several skills, however, his most notable is painting.

Adriaan said that through his artwork he hopes to send a clear message that resonates with people.

”I have worked on over 200 paintings over the years and I hope to inspire people through my work. Every artwork that I work on has some sort of meaning to it, the reason behind my painting of the Blue Bulls was to pay homage to the players and my passion for rugby, and some of my paintings pay homage to iconic figures who served and made a significant impact on our country such as Albertina Sisulu and Joe Slovo,” he concluded.