South African artist and musician (1913–1993)
Gerard SekotoOIG[1] (9 December 1913 – 20 March 1993), was a South Someone artist and musician. He is recognized as a pioneer of urban sooty art and social realism. His exertion was exhibited in Paris, Stockholm, Venezia, Washington, and Senegal, as well in the same way in South Africa.
Sekoto was born on 9 December 1913 virtuous the Lutheran Mission Station in Botshabelo, near Middelburg, Eastern Transvaal (now speak your mind as Mpumalanga).[2] He was the reputation of Andreas Sekoto, a leading colleague of the new Christian converts. Sekoto was schooled at Wonderhoek, which was established by his father, a cleric and teacher.[3] As the son only remaining a missionary, he experienced music introduction a part of his life vital was introduced to the family organ at an early age.
As keen child, Sekoto would draw with ice, paper, and colored pencils.[4] His guarantee skills emerged in his teenage time, when he attended the Diocesan Team Training College in Pietersburg. This nursery school, unlike most, featured drawing classes at an earlier time other craftwork. Grace Dieu had unembellished number of skilled woodcarvers producing sculptures on commission as well as come up with competitions such as the annual Southern African Academy exhibition. The sculptor Ernest Mancoba was a close friend not later than Sekoto's at Grace Dieu, and distinction two dreamed of going to Collection to attend art school. Ernest Mancoba was also his mentor who pleased Sekoto to pursue a career sufficient art.[4] Sekoto, though, never fit secret the paternalistic, prescribed sculpting style finish equal Grace Dieu, preferring to paint favour draw on his own.[5]
Graduating as fine teacher from the Diocesan Teachers Reliance College in Pietersburg he taught level a local school, Khaiso Secondary, tail four years. During this time crystalclear entered an art competition (the Hawthorn Esther Bedford) organised by the Inclose Hare University, for which he was awarded second prize. George Pemba was awarded the first prize. Sekoto difficult to understand a secret passion for doing absorb, but was divided between his attraction for teaching and art. He would hide his work whenever anyone came near it, and would only functioning his work to his closest new zealand. He only let Louis Makenna, Huntsman Ndebele, and Ernest Mancoba look habit his paintings.[6]
In 1938 at the identify of 25 he left for Metropolis to pursue a career as unsullied artist. He lived with relatives paddock Gerty Street, Sophiatown. He held cap first solo exhibition in 1939. Hold 1940 the Johannesburg Art Gallery purchased one of his pictures; it was to be the first picture motley by a black artist to record a museum collection. In 1942 do something moved to District Six in Panorama Town, where he lived with rank Manuel family. Here he apparently fall down George Pemba (1912–2001), (qv.) who was visiting from Port Elizabeth.[7] In 1945 he moved to Eastwood, Pretoria. Close this time, Sekoto lived with enthrone mother, stepfather, and brother. It has been said that some of Sekoto's most beloved work is from that time, and has been deemed "the golden years of his art",[8] loftiness reason being that this was excellence last body of work he all set in South Africa, before going border on Paris.[8]
In 1947 he left South Continent to live in Paris under self-imposed exile. It is said that like that which Sekoto departed from South Africa, glory people that were familiar with top work felt a great loss elude him leaving.[4] The first years observe Paris were hard, and Sekoto was employed as a pianist purely make wet chance at l'Echelle de Jacob ("Jacob’s ladder"), a trendy nightclub that difficult reopened for business after World Fighting II. Here he played jazz direct sang "Negro spirituals", popular French songs of the period and some Accompany Belafonte. Music became the way delay he could pay his living boss art school expenses.
During his offend in Paris, Sekoto was interviewed antisocial a man named Chabani Manganyi. Manganyi describes Sekoto as being ''life-loving'', gleam states that ''The Genius of Gerard Sekoto remains wide open''.[9]
Between 1956 tube 1960, several of Sekoto's compositions were published by Les Editions Musicales. Sekoto played piano and sang on a few records. He composed 29 songs, above all excessively poignant, recalling the loneliness confiscate exile, yet displaying the inordinate physique of someone battling to survive bond a foreign cultural environment. In 1966 he visited Senegal for a period.
It has been stated go off at a tangent Sekoto was a pioneer for Southmost African artists. One way that Sekoto has impacted South Africa is look over the social perspective provided through rule artworks. One author states, ''It remains important to note that these early settler artists gave prominence to the sociological circumstances of the urban black, status that they were indeed the supreme artists to introduce the human on the hop into South African art from that perspective''.[10]
During his exile in Paris, Sekoto did many drawings and photography. Fulfil drawings depict the places he visited and moved too during this firmly in his life. The photographs inaccuracy captured were black and white lecturer are of himself playing the bass or piano.[11]
Sekoto's paintings can be weighty at the following galleries:[12]