Step out of the spotlight and into the soul of the city, one counter at a time. Behind The Counter is a Time Out Johannesburg series celebrating the real people who power the city, from artists and baristas to tailors and traders. These are the everyday legends giving Joburg its soul, one story at a time.
On the bustling stretch of Vilakazi Street in Soweto, surrounded by history and heavy foot traffic, one artist quietly pours his soul onto canvas. For him, painting isn’t just a career - it’s a deeply personal act of reflection, resistance, and release. And while his work travels the world, it always begins right here, rooted in the streets that raised him.
But Smokey Radebe’s art is not your average African art. While animals and icons grace the lines that display his work, most of his paintings invite you to step off the pavement on Vilakazi Street and into another dimension, one where aliens appear in vivid colour and spaza shops are transformed into cultural artefacts.
Beyond the pavement
My personal favourite is a painting of an astronaut and an alien sitting around an mbawula (a homemade heater) exchanging ideas, while the Soweto Towers loom large in the background. This is the world according to Smoky, who is turning everyday life into bold, arresting works that refuse to be ignored.
“I paint whatever affects me – things that bother me, make me happy, or spark curiosity,’ he explains. “The painting of the astronaut and the alien was inspired by the controversy around the moon landing,” he adds. “I thought to myself, what if they landed on the moon and found something there, what would that be like from my perspective, and that’s what I came up with.”
Smoky hopes that when people take his paintings home, the artwork keeps speaking to them and to anyone who visits their space. “What I love most is that everyone sees something different. My work can spark questions, offer common ground, cause confusion, or even start arguments. Whatever it stirs up, I want it to move people in some way.”
The experience of creating art is deeply personal for him, “Sometimes, when someone buys a painting, I feel like a part of me is going with it. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t sell my art. But I have to, it’s part of why I do this. It’s how I survive.”
The power of place
And Vilakazi Street in Soweto is the perfect cultural hub for an artist like Smoky.
"Working on Vilakazi Street has opened a world of opportunities for me. I’m local, but I’ve sold paintings internationally – to people from America, New Zealand, Jamaica, Brazil, Nigeria, Maputo, all over. This location puts me at the centre of a constant flow of people, ideas, and chances to grow.”
“People have commissioned me to paint their houses, spaza shops, shoes, cars, you name it, I can do it.”
Ultimately, Smoky’s dream is to host a solo exhibition locally or internationally and to sell enough paintings to buy a house here on Vilakazi Street.
“I’d love to open a proper gallery, a space that gives other artists the same opportunities I had to fight for. It wasn’t easy getting this spot, so I cherish it every single day.”
When asked what he loves about living in Johannesburg, his answer is simple: “Living in the city is a blessing. It’s easier to meet people, network, and find chances to grow in a city like Johannesburg.”
“Living here, I don’t wait for opportunities; I create them. If no one gives me a chance, I make one for myself. The city is like a spiderweb of opportunity; there’s always a gallery opening, a poetry night, a band performing. You just have to be willing to get involved.”
On this historic stretch of street, where giants once walked and tourists now roam, Smoky Radebe quietly paints his truth, bold, surreal, and deeply Sowetan. Stop by Radebe Gallery and you’ll see: this isn’t just art. It’s storytelling with stardust on its sleeves.
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