Born on the eve of a new millennium, in 1999, in the small coastal town of Margate in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Richard Bothma is part of a new generation of young South African artists who feel passionate about capturing and sharing the energy of a dynamic country in rapid transition.
“Art is my way of getting creative, escaping the realities of the world, and creating scenes of our country that will last forever,” Bothma says.
He showed talent from a young age. “I was always drawn to the outdoors, doing pencil sketches from about ten years of flowers, wildlife, and still life.”
Bothma, who now lives in Cape Town, worked as a landscaper at a local garden center before putting oil to canvas in 2015. “My passion continued to grow, and I started painting almost every day in 2018 before starting to paint full-time in 2021.”
Stepping into his studio is a way of bringing his love of the outdoors in. “My inspiration hasn’t changed. The biggest difference is that I was only creating for myself before, but now I feel I am creating to share my love of nature with people worldwide.”