Ocean View artist Reagan Rubain is giving back to his community with a vision to open an art gallery where he can teach youth the craft.
The artist, who grew up in Ocean View, says he was always artistic as a child, but never did mosaic art before he was older.
“Teachers actually told me art is not very lucrative and that I will fail because it does not pay a lot.
But I pursued it anyway and I’m here today doing art, doing mosaic and I would really like to put back into my community.”
Rubain’s mosaic artwork is proudly displayed at the entrance to the Ocean View community.
“It is a peace sign and has unfortunately due to certain circumstances been vandalised, so I had to fix it. I’m going to do a mural at the Ocean View sports field at the multi-purpose centre now and that will be a stepping stone for many things as well as the gallery I am working on.”
Rubain, who is based at Ocean View Organic Farm, was one of the initial students who assisted in building the farm.
“After the one-year internship I told them that art is my first love, so I left to do my art. I did art all my life, but professionally studied at Spier Arts Academy in Cape Town in 2011. That’s where the business studies and art history studies came in.”
He added that while he had no initial direction he was drawn to do mosaic art.
“I was in between jobs and did not get paid a lot. I grew up struggling and poor so someone in the community, a friend of mine, suggested someone who was doing mosaic in Cape Town.
“I’ve never seen mosaic before that, so I was actually disappointed because I was into drawing and painting. So I asked him what is this, he said to me give it a try for one or two days.”
It is during this time that Rubain fell in love with mosaic.
“Years later, I was searching for job opportunities and they were recruiting in Cape Town to study mosaic for a three year course, so that’s where I got to the advanced stage of mosaic.”
He says the form of mosaic he does is an advantage because he is able to use any stone or tile.
“The form of mosaic I do is where I have an advantage because I can use a hammer that’s not found in South Africa, you find it in Italy, so it’s imported.
“I can actually bash any kind of stone with the hammer, if you’re going to use the bathroom tiles you have to buy it. This is where the advantage is, I can get my tiles anywhere and I can pick up tiles anywhere. I can cut up bricks anywhere, so there’ lots of situations where I can acquire my tiles.”
Rubain says his vision is to turn the shipping container he works from into a workshop and a gallery.
“It’s hard to require resources when you are on your own, but that is what I am envisioning. To teach people who want to learn and be employed. I want to teach people or the youth who want to learn.
“In that process I want people to become sustainable through art because this is lucrative, I want nothing from them. I want to teach and put them on a level where they can do their art, whatever they do and if they sell it, it belongs to them.”
