Gerard Sekoto OIG, was a South African artist and musician. He is recognised as a pioneer of urban black art and social realism. His work was exhibited in Paris, Stockholm, Venice, Washington, and Senegal, as well as in South Africa.
Artistic style
It has been stated that Sekoto was a pioneer for South African artists. One way that Sekoto has impacted South Africa is through the social perspective provided through his artworks. One author states, ''It is important to note that these pioneer artists gave prominence to the sociological circumstances of the urban black, and that they were indeed the first artists to introduce the human situation into South African art from this perspective''.
During his exile in Paris, Sekoto did many drawings and photography. His drawings depict the places he visited and moved too during this time in his life. The photographs he captured were black and white and are of himself playing the guitar or piano.
Sekoto's paintings can be found at the following galleries:
• Johannesburg Art Gallery
• Pretoria Art Gallery
• University of South Africa Art Gallery
• South African National Gallery
• Cape Town William Humphreys Museum
• William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley
• Gallery Guildhall
• Municipal Collection of the City of Paris
• Philadelphia Museum of Art
Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2024