Gerard Sekoto (South Africa 1913-1993)
Township scene

gouache on paper

Signature details: signed bottom right
Exchange Rates*: USD 11943.83 – 16287.04
EURO 10854.03 – 14800.96
GBP 9134.30 – 12455.87

(1)

33 x 51 cm; framed size: 76 x 94 x 4,5 cm

Provenance:

Private collection, Johannesburg.

Bonhams New Bond Street, The South African Sale Part 2, London, 10 September 2008, lot 440.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

There’s a quiet tenderness that runs through Gerard Sekoto’s work – one that’s hard to replicate. His scenes of everyday life don’t just depict moments; they hold them, gently and with care. Whether it’s people deep in conversation or travelling at the end of a long day, Sekoto painted with empathy, always attentive to the human spirit behind the scene.

Going Home, completed in 1971 after Sekoto’s travels to Senegal, is set inside a bus or train. The figures: seated, standing, and leaning, are painted in dynamic, expressive lines. They appear weary, lost in thought, their bodies slightly collapsing into themselves. Rendered in moody greens, blues, and earthy tones, the painting carries the weight of routine and quiet resilience. The work is a reflection of a daily reality for many disadvantaged South Africans at the time: travelling long distances from the outskirts of the cities in which they worked. Though made in exile in Paris, the work feels deeply grounded in South African life – an echo of memory sharpened by distance.

In contrast, Township scene, is filled with warmth and light. Likely created in the 1960s, this work captures a township scene of two men in conversation, washed in soft pinks and purples, with flashes of ochre and butter yellow. There’s a gentle rhythm to the composition, a sense of ease and shared presence between the figures. It’s a painting that feels remembered – not staged or observed, but lived. Though Sekoto left South Africa in 1947, his paintings continued to return here.

COLLECTOR'S NOTE

• Gerard Sekoto’s 1947 self-portrait currently features as the face of Paris Noir at the Centre Pompidou in Paris: a powerful show retracing the presence and influence of Black artists in France from the 1950s to 2000.
• Sekoto recently featured in the prestigious, 60th International Art Exhibition, Foreigners Everywhere, at The Venice Biennale, curated by Adriano Pedrosa and running from 20 April to 24 November 2024.
• The Wits Art Museum, in collaboration with the Gerard Sekoto Foundation, celebrated Sekoto’s life and work with a retrospective titled Song for Sekoto 1930-2013, which took place from 24 April – 2 June 2013. This was accompanied by a seminal publication of the same name.

COLLECTIONS:

The artist is represented in numerous local and international collections, notably, the Municipal Collection of the City of Paris; Gallery Guildhall, Chicago; La Ville de Paris; The Nedbank Art Collection South Africa; The MTN Art Collection, South Africa; The South African Reserve Bank Collection, Johannesburg; The Sanlam Art Collection, Johannesburg; Standard Bank Collection, Johannesburg; Johannesburg Art Gallery; Javett Art Centre, Pretoria; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town and the William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley.