Robert Hodgins was born on 27 June 1920 in Dulwich, London. In 1938, he immigrated to South Africa and joined the Union Defence Force in 1940. During the Second World War, he served in Kenya until 1941 and then in Egypt until 1944. Later that year, he returned to England and was discharged following the end of the war in 1945.
From 1947 to 1950, Hodgins studied part-time, and from 1950 to 1953 he studied full-time at Goldsmiths College of Art, University of London. He initially studied teaching before focusing on art. In 1951, he obtained an Arts and Crafts Certificate, followed by a National Diploma in Design in 1953, equivalent to a major in painting. He returned to South Africa in 1954.
Between 1954 and 1962, Hodgins taught painting and drawing at Pretoria Technical College. From 1962 to 1966, he worked as a journalist, art critic, and later Assistant Editor of Newsweek. He then joined the Department of Fine Art at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he served as a senior lecturer from 1966 to 1983. Afterward, he dedicated himself to painting full-time.
Although he had been exhibiting since the early 1950s, broader recognition came in 1981. During the 1980s, as many South African artists developed distinctive visual languages and engaged with social and political issues, Hodgins became known for his satirical portrayals of figures of power. The significance of this work was acknowledged in 1986 when the Standard Bank National Arts Festival hosted a major retrospective exhibition of his art.
Robert Hodgins is widely regarded as an expressionist painter and graphic artist whose work drew on historical events, figures, and personal impressions. His recurring imagery includes domineering businessmen in pinstriped suits, prison cells, historical references, and political tyrants. Working across oil, acrylic, tempera, and various graphic media, Hodgins often used the human figure as a subject; however, colour, spatial relationships, and composition remained central concerns throughout his practice. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he exhibited extensively in South Africa, London, France, the United States, and the Netherlands.
Robert Hodgins was born on 27 June 1920 in Dulwich, London. In 1938, he immigrated to South Africa and joined the Union Defence Force in 1940. During the Second World War, he served in Kenya until 1941 and then in Egypt until 1944. Later that year, he returned to England and was discharged following the end of the war in 1945.
From 1947 to 1950, Hodgins studied part-time, and from 1950 to 1953 he studied full-time at Goldsmiths College of Art, University of London. He initially studied teaching before focusing on art. In 1951, he obtained an Arts and Crafts Certificate, followed by a National Diploma in Design in 1953, equivalent to a major in painting. He returned to South Africa in 1954.
Between 1954 and 1962, Hodgins taught painting and drawing at Pretoria Technical College. From 1962 to 1966, he worked as a journalist, art critic, and later Assistant Editor of Newsweek. He then joined the Department of Fine Art at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he served as a senior lecturer from 1966 to 1983. Afterward, he dedicated himself to painting full-time.
Although he had been exhibiting since the early 1950s, broader recognition came in 1981. During the 1980s, as many South African artists developed distinctive visual languages and engaged with social and political issues, Hodgins became known for his satirical portrayals of figures of power. The significance of this work was acknowledged in 1986 when the Standard Bank National Arts Festival hosted a major retrospective exhibition of his art.
Robert Hodgins is widely regarded as an expressionist painter and graphic artist whose work drew on historical events, figures, and personal impressions. His recurring imagery includes domineering businessmen in pinstriped suits, prison cells, historical references, and political tyrants. Working across oil, acrylic, tempera, and various graphic media, Hodgins often used the human figure as a subject; however, colour, spatial relationships, and composition remained central concerns throughout his practice. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he exhibited extensively in South Africa, London, France, the United States, and the Netherlands.
