NEDBANK 

ART SUITE

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HERE, THERE & FORWARD

District 6

Gregoire Boonzaier

1909 – 2005

Artwork Details

Artist          Gregoire Boonzaier 
Title            District 6
Year            1966
Medium      Oil on board (72 x 62cm)

About the Artist

Gregoire Johannes Boonzaier (1909–2005) was a South African painter born in Newlands, Cape Town, who spent much of his later life in Onrus in the Western Cape. Initially encouraged by artists in his father DC Boonzaier’s circle, he studied at Heatherley School of Fine Art in London from 1935 to 1936 and studied graphic art at the Central School of Art in 1937. He co-founded the New Group and served as its first chairperson. His honours included the South African Medal of Honour for Painting, an honorary doctorate from the University of the Orange Free State (University of the Free State) in 1980, the Cape Arts Medal and the FAK Prize in 1989.

About this Artwork

This painting captures a bustling street scene in District Six, the multicultural neighbourhood that once stood at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town. The composition draws the viewer down a narrow street lined with closely packed buildings, shops and pedestrians. Boonzaier's loose, expressive brushwork and vibrant use of colour reflect the everyday activity. As a neighbourhood, District Six occupied a significant place in Boonzaier's artistic practice. Throughout his career he was drawn to ordinary people and working-class communities, often depicting the streets, homes and daily routines of Cape Town's residents.

In this work, the figures are integrated into the urban landscape, suggesting a lively and interconnected community. Boonzaier's treatment of paint is particularly significant. His energetic brushstrokes and simplified forms create an impressionistic quality, allowing the artist to capture the vitality of the scene rather than its exact appearance.

District Six became one of the most tragic symbols of apartheid after thousands of residents were forcibly removed following its declaration as a ‘white group area’ in 1966 under the Group Areas Act. Although paintings such as this may have been created before or after these removals, Boonzaier's repeated depictions of the area have come to serve as powerful visual records of a community that was systematically dismantled. Today, his District Six paintings are valued not only for their artistic merit but also for their role in preserving the memory of a place that occupies a profound position in South African social history.