Selby Mvusi (South African, 1929-1967), Untitled

Oil on canvas, 1959, signed and dated at lower left, framed.

Stretcher size 50 x 36 in.; Frame dimensions 50 3/4 x 37 in.

Estate of Julius A. Stratton, President Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT);
Acquired directly from the artist during the artist's visit to the MIT President's House, 1960;
by descent in the Stratton family.

Selbourne Charlton Sobizwa "Selby" Mvusi was a pioneering South African painter, sculptor, designer, poet, and educator whose work helped shape the development of modern African art and design. Educated at the University of Fort Hare, Rhodes University, and the Ndaleni Teachers Training College, he later earned a master's degree in art education in the United States, where he studied under the influential art educator Viktor Lowenfeld. Mvusi's expressive paintings and innovative thinking challenged conventional ideas about African art, advocating for a modern visual language rooted in African culture while embracing contemporary design. During a decade abroad, he taught and lectured in the United States and later established the industrial design program at the University of Nairobi. Although his career was cut short by his death in 1967, Mvusi is recognized today as one of the leading intellectual and artistic voices of twentieth-century Africa.

Minor nicking to frame; overall in good estate condition.

Schedule Preview