EZROM KGOBOKANYO SEBATA LEGAE
1938–1999
Ezrom Legae was born in Vrededorp, Johannesburg. In 1959, Legae became a parttime student at the Polly Street Art Centre and then from 1960–1961 at the Jubilee Art Centre, where he studied under Cecil Skotnes and Sydney Kumalo. When Kumalo retired from his teaching post at the Jubilee Art Centre in 1964, Legae replaced him at the Centre until 1969. From 1965 to 1972, Legae was represented by influential Johannesburg gallerist Egon Guenther, a time deemed to have been his golden period. In 1973 Legae moved to the Goodman Gallery. At his best, as a sculptor, Legae was the equal of Kumalo, but his output was small. Many of Legae’s sculptures in the period from 1984 until his death in 1999 reflect the influence of the English sculptors Lynn Chadwick and Kenneth Armitage.
EGON GUENTHER GALLERY
1959–1972
Egon Guenther emigrated from Germany to Johannesburg in 1951. Prior to this he had owned a prestigious art gallery in Mannheim, Germany. In 1957 he established the Egon Guenther Gallery in Johannesburg in Connaught Mansions in Bree Street. In 1965 Guenther relocated to a Donald Turgel designed gallery at his house at Krans Street, Linksfield, Johannesburg. Guenther represented and mentored, inter alia, Cecil Skotnes, Edoardo Villa, Sydney Kumalo, Ezrom Legae, Peter Haden and Hannes Harrs. The Egon Guenther Gallery represented Kumalo from 1960–1972 and Legae from 1965–1972.
GOODMAN GALLERY
1973–1999
Linda Goodman (Givon) worked at the Grosvenor Gallery in London in the mid-1960s. After her return to South Africa, she represented Eric Estorick in South Africa. She established the Goodman Gallery in November 1966. From 1973 onwards the Goodman Gallery represented Kumalo and Legae after they parted company with Guenther; Kumalo until 1988, and Legae until 1999.
