When Itai Vangani was in preschool, growing up in Zimbabwe, he used to draw cartoon characters on scraps of paper which he would try sell for pocket money.
When the little boy was not sketching, he would walk the streets of the township with his ink-stained fingers and sneak into the homes of aspiring artists to admire their work and pepper them with questions.
From his classmates to his teachers, everyone noticed his talent, and it became clear from a young age what he wanted to do with his life.
However, he was warned that it would not be an easy road.
Despite this, he went on to follow his dream and his career has included some notable exhibitions, including a solo show at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 2003.
Twenty-one years ago, having established somewhat of a name for himself as an upcoming artist back home, he finally made the bold decision to move to SA.
“Before then, I was travelling back and forth between Zimbabwe and Cape Town to market and sell my work to art galleries.
“It had to be done in person because the internet was not what it is today. So it became costly with all the travelling.”
He said due to the instability in Zimbabwe, and the great expense he was incurring travelling back and forth, he ultimately decided to settle in Johannesburg.
However, that was also short-lived.
“My work in Johannesburg took off and I was growing as an artist and selling pieces, but the cost of living there was too great,” he said.
“I decided to move back to Zimbabwe for a while, but my brother, who is also an artist, expressed how happy he was in Gqeberha and persuaded me to join him, so I did.
“I would go around to the galleries in Nelson Mandela Bay, but there was not always a lot of work, so I expanded my reach to Durban and Cape Town.”
But the 47-year-old father of two’s big break into something unique came by chance — or as fate would have it — while he was working at an antique shop in Gqeberha.
“I was doing paintings for the owner but he said he could no longer afford to keep buying my paintings.
“I looked at some of the old doors he was selling and the idea suddenly came to me. I said, ‘what if I paint on them?’”
Given the go-ahead, he painted murals on two doors, and they sold instantly.
The next batch similarly flew off the hinges.
“The public would see my work, start asking about me, track me down, and then request a door for themselves.”
He said while a lot of his more formal work was now marketed online, many of his bigger sales were made through word of mouth.
From silhouettes of people to old buildings and animals, anything goes for Vangani, who also specialises in sculptures.
“I do mostly like to paint African woman because growing up I witnessed how hard they work.
“Most of the women I paint come from my imagination, but sometimes I see a stranger and she will inspire my next painting.”
Asked about some of the requests he had received from clients, he said it was mostly family portraits, however, while laughing, he said he had also been asked to paint a donkey or two.
“But my work on old and refurbished doors remain my most popular,” he said.
The Kariega resident’s work is also available online via the Shalom Art Gallery, the Crouse Art Gallery, the Alice Art Gallery, and many others.
He has been recognised with awards such as the 1999 Promising Artist Award from the UN.
Besides creating art, he has contributed to education through workshops and community projects.
His work is collected internationally, and he currently works as a resident artist at the National Gallery in Bulawayo while living in SA.
Personalised orders can, meanwhile, be made via his Facebook page.
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