Well known artist, sculptor and art teacher Duke Ellington Sipho Ketye died on Wednesday the 17th July when he suffered a fatal stroke.
He was born in Orlando, Soweto in June 1943 and after completing his schooling in King Williams Town attended the Lumko Art Centre in Queenstown. He later transferred to Saint Francis College in Marianhill, Natal and while studying there won a bursary to study by correspondence at The Famous Art School in Connecticut, USA.
Duke participated in numerous exhibitions throughout his career, his first solo exhibition in 1968 at The Mona Lisa Gallery, Johannesburg and from 1972 - 74 he was part of a group exhibition that was shown in Johannesburg, Pretoria, New York and London.
In 1975 he was invited for a solo exhibition by The Art Society of The International Monetary Fund in Washington DC and in 1989 he exhibited alongside the likes of Winston Saoli, Durant Sihlali and Speelman Mahlangu in a group exhibition held at The Oglethorpe University Art Gallery in Atlanta, USA. In 1995 he was chosen to be one of twenty one artists from eleven African countries, the USA and Britain to partake in a Sculpture Workshop under the auspices of the Breton Hall Centre for Applied Studies in Sculpture in Yorkshire, UK.
His last exhibition was a group exhibition at Go-Ra Gallery, Parkhurst in May this year, alongside two stalwarts in Naama Nothmann and Orlando de Almeida.
Although best known for his religious sculpture, for which he received numerous commissions, he was also commissioned in 1972 by the South West African Arts Commission to make a set of wooden panels depicting life in Namibia. These panels are today displayed in the Walvis Bay public library and city hall. In 1975 he produced wooden panels on commission from the Natal Blood Transfusion Service in Pinetown and recently, 2000, was commissioned by Monte Casino, Fourways to do a number of carved panels for the main entrance doors depicting the four seasons and the four elements. Duke was influential in helping younger artists realize their talents in his capacity as art teacher at St Francis College, Marianhill from 1976 - 78 and later in the years 1983 - 85 at Khalaba Art and Silkscreen, Venda.
He leaves behind his wife Meisie and five children who live in Orlando, Soweto.Submitted by the Go-Ra Gallery in Parkhurst, Johannesburg
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