Gerard Jan Sekoto
South Africa
B. 1913 - D. 1993
Gerard Sekoto is recognised as a pioneer of Black South African modernism. Born in the Lutheran Mission Station of Botshabelo in 1913, Sekoto's early life was shaped by South Africa's segregationist policies. He studied at Grace Dieu, an Anglican training college for Black schoolteachers, and taught until 1939, when he moved to Johannesburg to pursue a career as an artist. Settling in Sophiatown, a vibrant multiracial township, Sekoto captured the essence of urban life through his art, portraying the struggles and resilience of Black South Africans with sensitivity and dignity. His work during this period, including dynamic scenes of everyday life, exemplified his empathy and rejection of the exoticisation of Black subjects.
In 1947, Sekoto moved to Paris in self-imposed exile, where he continued to paint and perform as a jazz musician until his death in 1993. While his time in Paris was challenging, he gradually established himself on the international art scene and would leave a legacy in France, shortly before his death he was awarded the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French government. Additionally, he posthumously received the Order of Ikhamanga for achievement in the arts from the South African government.
In 1940, one of Sekoto's paintings became the first by a Black artist to be acquired by the Johannesburg Art Gallery, which would later host his first Retrospective Exhibition in 1989. Throughout his career, Sekoto participated in numerous shows, including the 1948 South African Art Exhibition at the Tate, where he was the only Black artist selected. His work continues to be featured in important exhibitions, such as the 2013 Retrospective Song for Sekoto at Wits Art Museum and Paris Noir: Artistic circulations and anti-colonial resistance, 1950 - 2000, currently on view at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Sekoto's work is featured in the exhibition Working Life in South Africa: Gerard Sekoto & Lena Hugo, curated by Senior Art Specialist and Head Curator Wilhelm van Rensburg, running from 1 April to 30 May 2025.
