Lebani Sirenje aka Rasta responded to trolls on his drawing of HHP at the memorial service at Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Speaking with TshishaLIVE, Rasta revealed that the pressure for a good result of the painting was too much on Tuesday. He also added that social media’s atmosphere was full of impatient while the crowd at the memorial service venue also lacked patient as they judged an incomplete drawing of HHP.
“I have been drawing for a long time, since my high school days and it’s my passion something that I live for. What people don’t understand is that painting is a process and it’s not a fast process. There’s a lot of steps that must be taken from the first sketch to the final product. The problem now is that the minute I sit down, someone takes a picture of my incomplete work and says to Twitter, ‘Look at Rasta’s painting!’ but at that stage the picture is not done, so it doesn’t look great because it isn’t done. But Twitter doesn’t care, they go ahead and judge anyway,” Rasta said.
“I’ll admit, the pressure at funerals is different. It’s difficult because families are crying and the atmosphere is heavy. I am an artist and obviously emotions affect me as well, but not just me. Nobody attacks a singer who stops singing midway because they are overwhelmed by emotions. No one says, that was a bad performance because they understand, I am treated differently.”
“People can’t just wake up and say I must stop painting, that would kill me… Rather they say go change this or learn this and I’ll improve.”
