Artist Database

Gregoire Boonzaier began his artistic career in his teens, inspired by the work of artists Moses Kottler, Nita Spilhaus and Pieter Wenning, who were friends of his father, the cartoonist DC Boonzaier. These early works demonstrate his enduring interest in the historic areas of the Cape. His career was already well established by the age of 25 when he went to study at the Heatherley School of Art in London with fellow South African artist Freida Lock. Boonzaier was exposed to the work of the Post-Impressionists and early modern artists who were to inspire his life’s work. This prolific artist is best known for his views of District Six, the Bo-Kaap, quaint rural and coastal settlements, as well as still life and botanical subjects. He co-founded the New Group with Walter Battiss, Lippy Lipschitz, Freida Lock and Terence McCaw in 1938. Boonzaier believed in demystifying art for the public and gave lectures across the country. His prodigious output included drawings, prints, watercolours, pastels and oil paintings.