A very rare framed oil on canvas, signed ‘GSEKOTO’ in the lower right. Reference S1067.
Born in 1913 at Botshabelo, a Lutheran mission station near Middelburg, Gerard Sekoto spent his formative years at Wonderhoek. Memories of his rural childhood and family life remained an important influence, offering comfort during his later years in exile.
Sekoto began drawing as a child, but only gained access to coloured pencils as a teenager. This introduction to colour transformed his work. His time in Sophiatown, District Six and Eastwood produced vibrant paintings that captured both the cultural activity and tensions of township life. These works became historical records of communities whose neighbourhoods were later demolished.
In 1947, Sekoto left South Africa for Paris and never returned. Life in France brought new inspiration as he revisited earlier subjects and explored different themes, retaining the deep sense of humanity that characterised his work.
Recognition grew towards the end of his life, supported by Barbara Lindop’s research and correspondence with the artist. Her work helped locate paintings previously thought lost and establish details of his life before his death in 1993.
Sekoto exhibited widely in South Africa and internationally, including at the Tate Gallery, the South African National Gallery and Johannesburg Art Gallery. His honours included an honorary doctorate from the University of the Witwatersrand and recognition as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 1989. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Ikhamanga in 2003.
Provenance
Private collection, circa 1950s, then by descent. Subsequently acquired from The Onrus Gallery, South Africa; Oilz Fine Art Gallery, South Africa; Bonhams, London; and The Gallery at Hayling.
