Artist Database

Simon Moroke Lekgetho was born in 1929 in Schoemansville, near the Hartebeespoort Dam. He was predominantly a self-taught artist who learned by studying books on art techniques. However, Lekgetho did receive some drawing lessons from an occupational school in Middleburg, Mpumalanga and instruction from other artists of the time, most notably Walter Battiss. He worked as a clerk for the Provincial Administration in Pretoria and, after a time, also taught art at his studio at 1216 Fortuin Street in Lady Selborne. Lekgetho painted still lives, landscapes, portraits, and rock painting-like compositions. His artwork often focused on healing as a subject matter. He died in Ga-Rankuwa, north-west of Pretoria, in 1985.