Ernest Mancoba (1904, Turffontein, South Africa–2002, Clamart) is regarded as South Africa’s first professional Black modern artist. He began his career in the 1920s, notably creating the sculpture African Madonna (1929). In 1938, he moved to Paris to study at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. After the war, he lived in Denmark and France, associating with the CoBrA movement. His work is defined by abstraction, referencing South African rock paintings and Danish frescoes. He exhibited at the Centre Pompidou (Paris), Museum Jorn (Silkeborg), and Södertälje Konsthall. His works are part of public collections such as CoBrA Museum (Amsterdam), Tate Modern (London), and Iziko South African National Gallery (Cape Town).

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