John Koenakeefe Mohl is a talented and important artist whom many would argue has not yet received the recognition he deserves. Mohl (simplified from his Tswana surname Motlhakangna) was formally trained at the Kunst-Akademie in Dusseldorf. After his studies in Germany, the artist returned to South Africa and started teaching art from his home in Sophiatown.
A respected teacher and mentor within his community, Mohl’s delicate and exquisitely painted landscapes challenged the status quo of what was ‘expected’ from black artists during the Apartheid era. Many who knew him can attest to how committed he was to capturing the southern African environment in which he lived. On Thursday 16 November, Aspire Art will offer three of Mohl’s paintings from the 1950s and 60s on auction in Johannesburg at 32 Bolton Road, Parkwood, Johannesburg, giving local audiences an opportunity to appreciate his masterful work.
View the collection of John Mohl works on auction here.
His paintings incorporated the knowledge and classic techniques acquired during his studies abroad and were thematically inspired by his own experiences of the vibrancy and difficulties of life in southern Africa. Mohl’s social realism did not depict the ‘poverty and suffering’ in that period but rather conveyed the landscapes and people from the places where he lived and travelled in Southern Africa.
John Koenakeefe Mohl | To and from the River in Basotholand
In this way, his work became a documentation of life and the many rural areas he visited. The three paintings presented by Aspire Art are a testament to this, as they map Mohl’s journeys to Lesotho (previously referred to as Basotholand) and Botswana (previously referred to as Bechuanaland Protectorate). The beautiful landscapes are juxtaposed with the titles of the works which allude to the darker colonial history. In lot 13, To and from the River in Basotholand, four figures walk in a softly depicted, seemingly early morning, landscape. The figures are wrapped, in what appears to be the traditional wool Seanamarena blankets. It is noteworthy that this work was created in 1966, the same year that Basotholand gained its independence from British colonial rule and was renamed as the Kingdom of Lesotho.
Right | John Koenakeefe Mohl | September in Bechuanaland S.A
Left | John Koenakeefe Mohl | Baa – Serowe B.P. (To Serowe)
The two exquisite early works Baa – Serowe B.P (To Serowe) from 1956 (LOT 14) and September in Bechuanaland S.A. dated 1955 (LOT 15), both depict intimate scenes from the lives of people in Botswana. In September in Bechuanaland S.A, patches of green and the lush trees introduce the start of spring. This luscious season is emphasised by a sweet scene of a goat reaching for the leaves of one of the trees. Ten years later, Bechuanaland Protectorate (B.P) would gain independence and be renamed Botswana. Baa – Serowe B.P (To Serowe) shows three figures on their way to Serowe, also known as the ‘Royal Village’ due to its ties with BaNgwato and Khama dynasties. Notably it was also the birthplace of the first president of an independent Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama.
A pioneer of Black Modernism in South Africa, the artist was one of only a few painting landscapes at the time. He was also one of the first black artists to be involved in art education and training, running art classes from his home which was referred to as the ‘White Studio’. Students between the ages of 12 and 30 years of all races attended the art classes in his house in Annadale Street where he taught a variety of skills including painting, drawing, sculpture and flower arrangement.
In the late 1950s, he established the Apollo Art Gallery in Johannesburg, but because as he was prevented from operating a business at that time; it was under the name of a Belgian man, Frank van Melten. When Sophiatown was demolished, Mohl moved to Soweto. There he started teaching and in the mid-1970s exhibited his artworks in his garden and sold them to community members and tourists.
His artistic legacy is now celebrated in the field of art history and education. Notably, artist Helen Sibidi had between 1970 and 1973 taken private painting lessons from Mohl as did many others. After his passing in 1985, John Koenakeefe Mohl was posthumously awarded the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, a South African honour granted by the President of the country for achievements within the arts, culture, journalism, music and sports. His work is represented in numerous local and international collections, notably, the BHP Billiton Collection, Johannesburg; Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg; MTN Art Institute, Sandton; Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town; South African Reserve Bank, Pretoria and the UNISA Art Gallery, Pretoria.
Aspire Art welcomes all art enthusiasts to view the collection from November 9th to November 16th at their Johannesburg showroom before it goes under the hammer. For additional information regarding the works, kindly contact Associate Art Specialist, Carina Jansen, at carina@aspireart.net.
Browse and download the catalogue
20th Century & Contemporary Art
Auction: 16 November at 6 pm
Auction Viewing: 9 to 16 November 2023
Monday to Friday: 8:30 – 16:30
Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00
Auction: 16 November at 6 pm
Location: 32 Bolton Road, Parkwood, Johannesburg
Also read: Arts project aimed at preserving South African culture
