The John Smit Portrait
John Smit, Springbok Captain
Artist: Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi]
Oil on canvas
610mm x 915mm
“I love rugby, I love this country and I love giving people hope. I have lived, and am still living, in a historic time for South Africa and have grown with the country from the birth of democracy in 1994, when I was just 16.” – John Smit, Springbok Rugby Captain.
The 5th painting of Facing a Century by the artist Taf [Tafadzwa Mukwashi] is of John Smit, the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. The moment was on 21 August 2010, at John Smit’s 100th test match for South Africa in Soweto. Despite the cameras, a stadium, a nation, and the world watching, there passed this personal moment between John and his two miracles, Emma-Joan and Tyron, from his soulmate and wife, Roxy. This simple moment of paternal love in this Bok Great’s life was captured in a classic grisaille, oil on canvas painting in a paynes grey monochrome. A ‘cartooned’ theme was adopted for the benefit of the aforementioned miracles. John Smit is also a passionate supporter of the Bobby Bear Foundation and Operation Bobbi Bear. Operation Bobbi Bear is a non-profit organization based in Amanzimtoti, in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. They rescue and uphold the rights of sexually abused children and ensure that secondary abuse does not occur. For more information on how to do that one small act that could help rescue one of Operation Bobbi Bear’s miracles, please go to www.bobbibear.org.za
