​Contemporary South African Art

Born: 1924 Warrenton, Northern Cape.
Died 1988 Broederstroom, Transvaal.



A painter of landscapes, wildlife, portraits, figures and abstract pictures. Worked in oil on masonite

or canvas and in watercolour, acrylic, gouache, ink and wash. A graphic artist. 1976- 87 a series of 30 paintings entitled. “Genesis”.

Studies: 1944-45 private study in Florence and Rome, Italy; 1947-49  University of the Witwatersrand, under Joyce Leonard (qv) , Professor Heather Martienssen (1915-79), Douglas Portway (qv) and Dr. Maria Stein-Lessing (1905-61).

Profile: 1976-78 a lecturer in portraiture at the Witwatersrand Technical College. A writer of both poetry and prose. 1950-63 Art Director of Killarney Film Studios. A professional scriptwriter and a producer and director of films. An actor who was awarded the ‘Oscar’ of the Motion Picture Producer’s Association, SA, for his performance in “Pappa Lap”; also acted in “The Guest”, which was honoured at the Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland. He won two Star Tonight!’1 awards for “The Story of an African Farm” and “The Pain:”; his film “Sarah” was featured in the International Film Critics’ Recall Season. He travelled extensively in sub-equatorial Africa as a film producer. Frequently visited the Kalahari and Kruger National Park. Was married

to Gina Hall (qv).

Exhibitions:    Participated in numerous group exhibitions from 1953 in SA. Zimbabwe, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, the USA and the UK; 1954 Johannesburg, first of over 100 solo exhibitions a held SA; 1960 Quadrennial Exhibition; 1966 Lexington Gallery,  New York, solo exhibition, 1`984 Quadrennial Exhibition; 1966 Lexington Gallery, New York, solo exhibitions; 1984 SAAA Gallery, Pretoria, joint exhibition with Dale Elliot (qv), Wendy Malan (qv) and Ulrich Schwanecke (qv); 1987 Rand Afrikaans and University , Prestige Exhibition.

Represented: Ann Bryant Gallery, East London; Hester Rupert Art Museum, Graaff-Reinet; King George VI Art Gallery. Port Elizabeth, Potchefstroom Museum; Pretoria Art Museum; Rand
Afrikaans University; SA National Gallery, Cape Town; University of the Orange Free State; University of South Africa; Willem Annandale Art Gallery, Lichtenburg; William  Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberly.

Publications by Vorster: The textures  of Silence, 1983, Howard Timmins, Cape Town- a novel which won the Golden Cap Prize; The Blood River  Bible, to be published in 1989.

References: SAA; Our Art 2; AASA.
Fontein vol 1 no 1, 1960; SA Panorama May 1966 & June 1983; Artlook November 1966, February 1967, August  1969 &May1970; De Kat June 1987.