"I'VE never held down a normal job," says 36-year-old Johannesburg-based artist, collector and gallery owner Thomas Ngulube.

Not that he has not tried. In the past Ngulube made attempts to stay with a nine-to-five job here and there as an art cleaner and restorer, but his love for art always pointed him to a paint brush and sculpting equipment.

'I communicate through my art. I utilise freedom as an abstract composite of every emotion I go through - my pain, hatreds and struggles," he explains.

"My choice of subjects and mediums are a vivid expression of myself."

As a teenager, Ngulube said he had learnt about African artifacts, sculptures and ornaments from his brother-in-law, who was an artist and collector.

As his passion for art grew, this self-taught artist says, he attempted enrolling at various art institutions to get formally educated in art theory - but he did not have the kind of personality that is suitable for a classroom.

Later on, though, to widen his scope in the arts, Ngulube did a few art courses, including one offered by Artists Proof Studios in Newtown and the Johannesburg Art Foundation.

He says he is inspired by Dumile Feni and Pablo Picasso.

"My father initially did not love the idea of my involvement in art but through my brother-in-law, whom I assisted and learnt from, I nevertheless pursued my dream and passion. Today my father is happy."

When he started his business Ngulube used to sell his works from a pushcart. He later progressed to selling from the boot of his car, until he opened the studio in Rivonia named after him.

"It was a great challenge in the beginning when the art world was still perceived as an elitist field reserved for the few," he says.

Ngulube paints and does artwork, specialising in oil on canvas and print-making.

Necessity drove him to also start sculpting, which he does in wood, stone and metals, which he has exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout Gauteng.

While collecting art pieces from villages in various African countries, including Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, he often finds local craftsmen willing to sell unfinished works.

"Some of my buyers and collectors require completion of pieces such as masks, or ask for certain changes, and I have no choice but to finish them myself," he says.

His work often reflects the Bible.

"The Bible, for me, has many revelations of my past and present," he says, adding that he hopes his works represent a silent voice that "quietly relates to me the revelations of the Word at that particular time".

He is trying to recruit more local artists to showcase their work at his gallery.

"Many aspiring artists from our communities are often sidelined by the mainstream galleries," he says.

"This is their chance."