Natalie knight’s story

From Johannesburg to the BBC: Celebrating the Artistic Legacy of Natalie Knight

From Johannesburg to the BBC: Celebrating the Artistic Legacy of Natalie Knight

From starting her art gallery in her garage in Johannesburg, to receiving international recognition on the world stage, Natalie Knight’s journey in the arts has become a symbol of South African cultural resilience and innovation.

Her appearance on live BBC TV in 2013 marks the pinnacle of a remarkable career that has spanned over six decades.

Natalie Knight, born in 1938, began her career as a lawyer before fully immersing herself in the world of art. With a BA in History of Art and Drama from the University of the Witwatersrand, Knight transitioned from law into arts journalism and curatorship. Her pioneering research into Ndebele art and culture in the late 1970s led to the publication of Ndebele Images.(1983) Ndebele items collected by Natalie Knight and the American colleague Suzanne Priebatsch resulted in a two year traveling exhibition across the United States, curated by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Night subsequently donated the research and photographs to the museum.(See https://www.si.edu/object/archives/sova-eepa-2012-010)

In 1981, she founded the Natalie Knight Gallery, a space that introduced South Africa to global icons such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Henry Moore, while also championing unknown like Velaphi Mzimba and Thomas Kgope. Her curatorial vision bridged continents and cultures, bringing international acclaim to African artists.

Knight’s influence extended beyond gallery walls. She has lectured globally, consulted for museums, and curated exhibitions that reflect South Africa's artistic soul, including We Love Mandela: Art Inspired by Madiba — launched in 2013 in London to mark 20 years of democracy. The exhibition was covered by BBC and Reuters, highlighting her role as a cultural ambassador for SouthAfrican art. (See https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-24325469).

Among numerous accolades, Knight received the Lifetime Achiever Award in Arts and Culture from CEO Magazine in 2014, first for South Africa and later for the entire African continent.

Today, Natalie Knight remains an iconic figure in the South African art community, committed to celebrating and preserving African heritage through the visual arts. (See https://si-siris.blogspot.com/2019/02/pioneering-women-photographers-in.html)