Born in 1944, François Koch enjoyed a successful career as a commercial and fine art painter in South Africa. He studied commercial art in the 1960s at the Johannesburg School of Art and worked as an illustrator for a large publishing company until 1970, when he decided to devote himself to fine art, painting landscapes and wildlife. During his South African career, his commissions included works for South African embassies throughout the world and the official residence of the president of South Africa. He participated in many prestigious wildlife art exhibitions, including Sotheby's Wildlife Auction for the World Wildlife Fund.
Now a proud United States citizen living and working in Tucson, Koch paints landscapes almost exclusively, and the deep emotion and expression in his paintings has attracted a new following. His atmospheric scenes inspire the other senses—one can almost smell the air and hear the insects and feel the sun or shade—virtually drawing the viewer into the picture.
Since 2000, he has had two one-man shows and a two-man show, all sold out before the opening night. He also participates in the Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale, Autry National Center of the American West, Los Angeles; the Western Visions Miniature Show, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City; and the Quest for the West Art Show and Sale, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis, Indiana.
His work has been featured in Art of the West and Western Art Collector and is included in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Georgia. He was honored as the 2007 Artist of the Year by the Friends of Western Art, Tucson, Arizona.
Source: Masters of the West Show, The Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA
Francois Koch, b. Johannesburg, South Africa
Art was always Francois Koch's central interest. Painting and drawing since childhood, he began selling watercolor landscapes at age fifteen. Koch worked for a number of years as commercial artist and illustrator and at age twenty-six, he decided to pursue his lifelong passion for fine art.
He soon established himself as one of South Africa's foremost landscape and wildlife painters, participating in numerous international wildlife shows and the Wildlife Fund Auction in London. In 1998 he expanded his market to the United States. He and his wife, Cilicië, are today proud U.S. citizens residing in Arizona.
Education
• Johannesburg School of Art
Selected Exhibitions• Autry National Center, Masters of the American West, Los Angeles, CA
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Prix de West, Oklahoma City, OK
• National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Small Works, Great Wonders, Oklahoma City, OK,
• Eiteljorg Museum, Quest for the West, Indianapolis, IN,
• National Museum of Wildlife Art, Western Visions Miniatures & More Show and Sale, Jackson, WY,
Selected Press• Southwest Art, March, 2010
• Art of the West, January/February, 2009
• Western Art Collector, November, 2007
Selected Collections• South African Embassy
• South African Presidential Residence
• Miller Breweries
• First National Bank
• South African Reserve Bank
• South African Tourist Bureau
• Mala Mala Game Reserve, Sabi Sand Reserve, South Africa
• National Wildlife Museum, Jackson Hole, WY
• Booth Museum, Cartersville, GA
• Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN
Awards• Friends of Western Art, Artist of the Year,Tucson, Arizona, 2007
