Keresmose Richard Baholo is a South African artist best known for having been the first black student to earn a Master’s degree in fine art from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Michaelis School of Fine Art in 1994. During his studies, in 1992 the artist also spent four months in residence at the Canberra Institute of the Arts within the Australian National University alongside fellow student Berni Searle – now a well-known contemporary artist.
Baholo’s name came to prominence in 2016 when a number of his paintings from the mid-nineties were destroyed in fires set by Rhodes Must Fall protesters at UCT. The protests were based on a call for racial transformation and de-colonialisation at the University, and as such Baholo’s works became an ironic piece of collateral damage. Despite this, Baholo has since spoken out in support of the movement.
Baholo’s practice is comprised predominantly of paintings in both oil and acrylic. With an expressive use of colour, as well as the careful employment of metaphors and allegories, much of the artist’s works are centred on the fight for equality in the country.
In 2018, as an endearing symbol of Baholo’s significance within the context of the University’s history, the artist’s work Baby-Witch Training was donated to the Siyakhula Michaelis Art Auction in partnership with Aspire Art. Funds raised from the sale of the work, as well as many others in the auction, were put towards comprehensive scholarships for promising students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring greater diversity at the university – a continuation of Baholo’s legacy.
