Alfred Thoba (1951 – 2022) was a prominent social realist painter renowned for his ability to create emotionally charged works that seamlessly blend satire and humour with incisive political criticism. Thoba was largely self-taught, although he undertook a brief period of training in Swaziland and later in Johannesburg, where he honed his craft under the mentorship of Bill Ainslie at the Johannesburg Art Foundation.
After initially working in the advertising industry, Thoba committed to painting full-time in 1974, quickly attaining notable success. His work was featured in Sue Williamson's influential book, Resistance Art in South Africa, published in 1989, and in 1994, a painting by Thoba was acquired for the permanent collection of the South African National Gallery in Cape Town.
Thoba primarily worked in oil on board, canvas, and paper, depicting figures in interiors as well as cityscapes and landscapes in a style that leans towards the naïve, characterised by flat planes of colour, dark lines, and a blending of perspectives. His thematic focus encompassed social, political, sexual, and religious issues, with his later works primarily exploring township life and the impact of urbanisation on traditional cultures, often inspired by stories from local newspapers.
Over nearly four decades, Thoba's work was exhibited extensively throughout South Africa. His first major exhibition was in 1988 at the Market Gallery in Johannesburg, as part of the group show Artists Protest Detention without Trial. In 1996, his work was included in Fault Lines: Enquiries into Truth and Reconciliation at the Cape Town Castle. A significant retrospective of his work, titled Alfred Thoba: A Step Becomes a Statement, was held at the Wits Art Museum in 2018.
Text Source: Aspire Art
Image Source: REVISIONS: Expanding the Narrative of South African Art
