/ 6 June 2011

Die Antwoord collaborator Leon Botha dies, age 26

SA artist and DJ Leon Botha, whose work with Die Antwoord earned him worldwide recognition, has died, a day after his 26th birthday.

South African artist and DJ Leon Botha died on June 5 2011, a day after his 26th birthday.

Botha was born with progeria, a rare degenerative genetic disorder that accelerates the aging process.

Artist Leon Botha, one of the world’s longest surviving Progeria sufferers, and photographer Gordon Clark embark on a collaborative and artistic adventure, exploring the questions of destiny and immortality to bring us this powerful photo series Who Am I? Transgressions.

He was the oldest documented person living with the disease, which usually has a life expectancy in the teens.

Botha was thrown into the spotlight as the DJ who opened for Die Antwoord during their concerts, going on to feature in one of the music videos that shot them to international stardom, Enter the Ninja.

Tributes poured in for Botha on his Facebook page, hailing his optimism and describing him as an ‘inspiration, with a zest for life”.

In 2009, Botha collaborated with Gordon Clark on a photo series called Who Am I? Transgression, depicting him in theatrical projections of how society might see him.