Thomas Kgope, the eccentric artist who left a promising career as an electrician to pursue art to the top
By Natalie Knight
Thomas Kgope (1954 – 2007) is a unique and quirky artist, whose original style and unorthodox methods have garnered him many accolades and much personal grief.
The first international recognition of his work came in December 1993, when he was one of 4 artists selected by Simon Njami for a monograph in the publication Revue Noire.
The other three artists who were given a four page spread were Jackson Hlungwani, Andries Botha and William Kentridge. Kgope asked for a few copies of the article so that he could take it home to show his family that he was not “a rubbish artist.”
Kgope’s personal grief was caused by the fact that his family was not impressed by the fact that he had fallen from being an electrician to become an artist which in Ndebele culture was regarded as “woman’s work.
Nevertheless, Kgope persevered.
He joined Natalie Knight’s Gallery art stable through a referral from Norman Catherine.
Natalie did not just represent Thomas. She championed him to the extent that when Thomas painted these three panelled works (pictured here) titled Mr. T. he called himself Thomas Knight, declaring that Natalie Knight was his mother.
This work, Mr T, gives an insight into his life and work. Thomas was influenced by Western culture, TV, magazines etc. He identified with the iconic TV tough character Mr. T – known for his mohawk and layers of gold jewelry. Thomas incorporated the T shape of a Ndebele mural into this panel referring to himself as Tom and Mr T; the middle panel is where Thomas sees himself as a cool western artist named Thomas Knight, and the third panel depicts Ndebele men in their traditional homestead.
He was featured in major exhibitions including African Encounters at the Dome Gallery, New York. In a review his work was described as “eccentric and an altogether delightful surprise……a self- taught former electrician who has arrived at a highly original style…bright, funky and bizarre.”
The Pollock Krasner Foundation in New York agreed with this assessment and Thomas Kgope was awarded $7000. (R70000) from their Bursary fund.
Ndebele Images – Then and Now at the National Art Club, Gramercy Park,
New York-South African cultural art on an international stage.
Through Ndebele Eyes —a film preserving the Ndebele influences at the heart of his practice, for generations to come.
His work now lives on in South African Institutions, (Wits Art Museum, Johanneburg Art Gallerey and Iziko Museum), The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM in Toronto) and in corporate and private collections throughout South Africa.
Ndebele art carries centuries of identity, resistance, and beauty. From the geometric asymmetry of the beadwork and painted wall murals, by women artists like Esther Mahlangu and others, and evolving through to contemporary art by many male artists with Ndebele roots.
You can view his available works on our website:
.Natalie Knight founded the prestigious gallery Knight. She is a well-respected researcher and is the curator of the Natalie Knight Collections –