Country of Peace

A drawing titled, Country of Peace by the South African Khomani San artist Vetkat Kruiper Regopstaan Boesman (1969-2007). The work is part of a series purchased by the University of Pretoria in 2007. The series comments on the artist's spiritual journey through the transmutation ceremonies of the San people, Christianity as well as his personal journey through living in the veld to being integrated to modern society. Short Biography: Vetkat Kruiper Regopstaan Boesman (mostly referred to as Vetkat Kruiper) was born in 1969 in Twee Rivieren and was a member of the Khomani San tribe in what is today known as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park region. His father was a healer and crafter in his community, and clearly had a huge impact on Vetkat’s art knowledge and understanding of San culture and customs. vetkat is one of very few San artists who sustained the ‘lost’ (according to some) tradition of San rock art, but with ink on paper as medium. The animality, spirituality and symbolism in Vetkat’s works has been the topic of several academic studies. Vetkat’s works are in private collections at the Natal Museum Services, the McGregor Museum at Kimberley and at the University of Pretoria. From 2002 to 2005, his art was displayed at the United Nations (UN) as part of an exhibition of indigenous art, while his 2004 tour of the United States of America culminated in his addressing the UN. Shortly before his death in 2007, Vetkat was invited by the Department of Built Environment at the University of Pretoria to do a solo exhibition on the University of Pretoria campus. All the works on exhibit were purchased by the University of Pretoria, and constitutes the largest assemblage of the artist’s works in a single collection, now curated by the University of Pretoria Museums.