Artist Database

Gordon Vorster was an artist, actor, writer, and filmmaker. He was born in Warrenton, near Kimberley in the Northern Cape. However, his family led a nomadic life and much of his childhood was spent exploring the Kalahari and Griqualand. In 1941, he joined the South African Air Force and served in North Africa and Italy during the war. After his service, Vorster travelled through Europe and studied in Florence before returning to South Africa. In the late 1940s, he enrolled in fine arts at the University of the Witwatersrand, becoming a member of the Wits Group alongside Christo Coetzee, Nel Erasmus, Cecil Skotnes, and Larry Scully. In 1950, he took up the position of Art Director at the Killarney Film Studios where he was involved in making both documentary and feature films. He appeared in several film and TV roles in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and won awards for performances in Pappa Lap, The Story of an African Farm, The Pain, and The Guest. In 1963, Vorster transitioned away from film to a full-time career as an artist and presented his inaugural exhibition the following year. His artwork reflects the love of nature that was instilled in him during his childhood. They depict abstracted landscapes that are often filled with bushveld wildlife – various herds of antelopes and zebra. Vorster exhibited both locally and internationally including in the 1958 Venice Biennale and he was honoured with a Retrospective Exhibition in 1987 at Rand Afrikaans University (now part of the University of Johannesburg).