Why I paint Bob Marley Fan Art

I'm a portrait artist. I work in an abstract style, and I love painting people’s grannies, cats, long lost friends ... all of it. Sometimes, I paint public figures to show how a portrait of someone you recognise, in my style, would look. I also do this to recreate special pieces and make them widely affordable.

The first time painted an artist with the intent of making prints, I chose Bob Marley because I’d always loved his music. My neighbour’s birthday was coming up, and I felt inspired to create a painting that could be a gift he'd enjoy but also something I could maybe reproduce as fine art prints.

Since then, I’ve sold nearly 250 of these prints. But the truth is, there’s a deeper reason I painted him and I rarely speak about this.

detail from 'Together' , you can see it here

I grew up in apartheid South Africa. And my family had a secret. At the time, interracial relationships were illegal. But somewhere in our bloodline, there was a crossing - one my family didn’t talk about.

I always knew something was different. The teasing and bullying at school started early. It was almost always about my hair: frizzy, pale, wild. “You look like you stuck your finger in a plug.” “Blonde Marley,” they called me. I didn’t even know who this "Marley" was. But I knew they weren’t saying it kindly.

One day, my grandmother let slip that we had mixed racial heritage. When I asked her to explain, she went quiet. For years. We were really close, yet she took the truth to her grave.

Fast forward to me at 18, dancing under palm trees at the South African coast to the rhythm of reggae. On nights like these, I danced my way towards stopping. Stopping trying so hard to be like everyone else. I’d started asking deeper questions. I had found Bob Marley’s music and somehow it felt like it had found me. That spirit of inclusiveness and acceptance. That love is the only thing that matters.

There was a dance contest. I didn’t know the rules.  I just whipped my wild curls and felt the music in my bones, the same way I feel when I paint. And the DJ called out: “The winner is… Blonde Marley.” But this time, it wasn’t a joke. I’d won! And for the first time, I knew the name had been a great honour all along.

That’s why I paint Bob Marley. Not just because he's someone we all love and recognise but because his music cracked something open in me long before I understood why.

This painting isn’t just a print. It’s a thank you.