André Francois Van Vuuren was born on the 15th September 1945, 13 days after the end of World War ll in a town called Benoni, east of Johannesburg to Johannes Lodewikus and Rose Cecilia. Three years later, the marriage ended and Rose was left to raise her three children on her own, which in the post war years was a monumental undertaking.

He had a sister, Edelweiss, 13 years older and a brother Louis 8 years his senior. Both of whom he adored.

His childhood was happy and carefree but, as he grew older, he became acutely aware of the injustices of life and the brutality of conflict. This was the seed from which the tree of his art grew.

He studied graphic design at the Johannesburg School of Art but after two years decided that there was no future for him in advertising and that his true love was painting. He then
joined a workshop group under the guidance of George Boys who became a lifelong friend, and with whom he collaborated in the exhibition at the Lidchi Gallery “For the next 1000 hours, your mind is your own” 1973.

His first exhibition was held in 1970 in Johannesburg.

In 1973 a work was accepted for exhibition by the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol.

Between 1970 and 1980 he had several solo exhibitions as well as participating in Group shows at leading galleries such as The Goodman Gallery, The Lidchi Gallery in Johannesburg, and the Neil Sack Gallery in Durban.

From 1980 to 1998 his work was handled by the Crake Gallery in Johannesburg. He also, at that time, showed work on various group exhibitions at the Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg.

In 1985 he spent some time in Germany. Heavily influenced by the, so called, Neue Wilde movement, in particular the works of Georg Baselitz and A R Penck, his work became more urgent and freer. It was during this time that he also discovered the work of Anselm Kiefer.