About
Mr. Richard Bollers was born on the 19th of August 1959 in Georgetown, Guyana. He began his formal studies of art at an early age and at sixteen he started attending classes at the E.R. Burrowes School of Art for a four years diploma course majoring in painting. After graduating he left Guyana to study for another four years degree course at the National School of Art in Havana Cuba.
Graduating as a tutor in Drawing and Painting major subjects and Graphic Printing, as is minor subject. He also works in Ceramics, Textile Designed, Weaving Techniques and Sculpture.
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Moving to South Africa
In September 1983 He return to Guyana and started to tutor the third and fourth year students at the E.R Burrowes School of Art were He started as a student in 1975. He worked there until December 1986.
He then moved to Botswana in 1987 with his South African wife who he met when they were studying in Cuba. In May 1987 to July, 1989 he worked as a graphic artist and photographer at L M. publications, Gaborone, Botswana. In November 1989 to September 1992 he worked as a graphic artist at Gaborone Printing Works Botswana. His responsibilities were for studio artwork, darkroom and plate making, stripping and registration of full color separation artworks with negative and positive film.
In October 1992 He moved with his family to South Africa after the unbending of the ANC and lived in Johannesburg. He then moved to Welkom and in July 1983 to December 1983 lectures in painting and drawing at the Welkom Technical College part time. In July 1994 to December 1994 he lectures at Welkom high school in painting, drawing and history of art part time.
In June 1995 to 2013 He had been working as the Art Unit Manager at Mmabana Cultural Center in Thaba Nchu in the Free State.
Becoming Letsatsi
In the late 90s, his close community in Thaba Nchu, named him “Letsatsi” which means sun. It is a name
Which Richard Bollers uses with pride on all artworks and it shows the light which he emanates as well as
his perspective to socio-economic questions and situations which he has “spoken about” in his work.
In 2003 to 2013 He is serving on the Advisory Committee of the Fine Arts unit at the Central University of Technology of the Free State
In 2004 to presently He is serving on the Advisory Committee at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum
In 2013 to 2014 He worked as the Acting Head of Mmabana Cultural Center in Thaba Nchu
In 2014 He worked as the Head of the Master Crafter unit in the DSACR
He retired at the end of July 2024 with his last formal position being the Assistant Director. In this role, he was employed to develop the Master Crafters Programme, manage, monitor, evaluate the projects and programmes of visual arts across the Free State Province.
South African has become a home from Richard Letsatsi Bollers and the artwork you see is reflects the nuances, the embrace of South African, vast years of experience as well as an ongoing desire for continuous learning.
Exhibitions
1979: Dip. E.R. Burrowes School of Art graduation (Guyana)
1981: Young Artist Exhibition (Cuba)
1983: National School of Art Graduation Exhibition (Cuba)
1984: One Man Exhibition. “The Observer” (Guyana)
1986: One Man Exhibition. “A Symphony of Colors” (Guyana)
1989: One Man Exhibition. “From my Pallet” (Botswana)
1996: Kempton Find Art Competition. Top 100 Awards
1997: Kempton Find Art Competition. Top 100 Awards
1998: Kempton Find Art Competition. Top 12 Awards
1999: Kempton Find Art Competition. Top 100 Awards
2000: Kempton Find Art Competition. Top 83 Awards
2000: Sasol New Signatures Awards. Judge’s Award (Johannesburg)
2004 to date: Curator and Exhibited at Macufe Art Festival.
2007: Exhibited and opening guest speaker at Fresh Paint Art Gallery in Durban
2010: Exhibited at the Spier Contemporary (Cape Town)
2013-2014: Curator the DSACR exhibited at National Art Festival (Grahamstown)
2014: Curator and Exhibited at a combine Free State Artist in Smithfield
2016: Exhibited at the Phatshoane Henny Attorney New Breed Art Competition (Bloemfontein)
2003 - 2006: Serving on the Advisory Committee of the Fine Arts unit at the Central University of Technology of Free State
2004 - 2017: Serving on the Advisory Committee at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Bloemfontein)
2019 to date: Exhibiting at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum (Bloemfontein)
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2023: Portrait Awards Competition - Top 40 (Cape Town)
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2025: Clarens Art Festival
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2025: Echoes of Time Art Exhibition (Ladybrand)
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2025: Portrait Awards Competition - Top 40 (Cape Town) & Aspire Art (Rosebank)