Welcome Koboka

Welcome Koboka (1941 – 1997)
Welcome Mandla Koboka studied art under Cecil Skotnes and Ephraim Ngatane. He worked in charcoal, inks, watercolours and oils, becoming most recognised for his paintings. The subject matter of his work generally focused on life in the townships, depicting people going about their daily lives in vivid colours with abstraction. Koboka developed a palette knife technique with his paintings, creating a gritty, weighted surface appearance.

Koboka participated in several group exhibitions as well as solo shows. The 1981 ‘Black Art Today Exhibition’, held in Soweto, included his work, as did exhibitions in Austria and the United States. Several private collections as well as public collections hold his pieces, including the University of Fort Hare.