Walter Batiss was born in Somerset East in the Cape Province. Studied at the Johannesburg School of Art under Prof. Winter Moore and later obtained a BA fine art through the University of South Africa Battiss was an extremely versatile artist using many different media and styles. He was influenced by San rock art, but also went through a long abstract period during the forties and fifties, using strong colours and symbols. Batiss was the creator of the Fook Island Concept. He was extremely versatile and his work is provocative, elusive and experimental. He treated each new artistic movement as a challenge to adventure.