Notes

Known for his images depicting daily life, Gerard Sekoto is one of the most significant pioneers of realist painting in South Africa – alongside contemporaries Gladys Mgudlandlu and John Koenakeefe Mohl. Throughout his career, spanning some six decades, Sekoto explored themes of community, identity, and the struggles against apartheid through his expressive painting style. Working in the tradition of post-impressionism – using vivid colours, a thick application of paint and depictions of real life – Sekoto seamlessly blends elements of modernism with culturally resonant subject matter. Leaving South Africa for France in 1947, in self-imposed exile and in pursuit of his modernist aspirations, he laid a foundation for a distinctly African modernism signified by work that captures the vibrant rhythms of life around him, particularly that of black subjects.

Made with oil on board in 1975, the painting Two Striding Figures captures the artist’s reflections of memory and place. The work displays subtle gradations of hues and warm tones, highlighting his profound interest in colour and its chemistry. In this work, Sekoto delicately plays with light and shadow, resulting in a painting that radiates warmth and movement. Through the brisk posture of the two figures, the work gains an energetic visual tempo. It follows a similar style to other works in his oeuvre, which often feature a strong diagonal movement in composition, with figures as primary subjects. His works are an interesting interplay of fluid strokes with controlled and precise brushwork.

Nkgopoleng Moloi