Artists

Alfred Thoba was born in Sophiatown, Johannesburg. Largely self-taught, he is famous for his politically-charged paintings. In Sue Williamson’s Resistance Art in South Africa (Juta, 2010), Thoba discusses having to move around at night with the work 1976 Riots in order to avoid unwelcome attention from the police during the apartheid regime.

In the post-apartheid era, Thoba’s works remain politically and socially engaged. His recent works deal with the effects of Westernisation and urbanisation on rural and cultural values. His work is inspired by newspaper articles which he clips out and stores for later use. The finished works are often accompanied by a letter written by the artist himself.

Thoba’s seminal work 1976 Riots set a world record for the artist when it was sold by Strauss & Co for R913 480 in June 2012. This was followed up in May 2013 with Fruits of Life which sold for R818 496. A major retrospective of his work, Alfred Thoba: A Step Becomes a Statement, was held at the Wits Art Museum from 14 March to 3 June 2018.