Brett Murray (born 1961) is a South African artist mostly known for his steel and mixed media wall sculptures.
[1] Referred to by critic Brenda Atkinson as "the dark prince of South African pop (art)", Murray is one of the country's most popular artists, often using easily recognisable media images with the addition of a subversive and bitterly funny twist.
[3] In 2012, Murray exhibited a painting in a Johannesburg gallery of then-president Jacob Zuma with his genitals exposed, titled The Spear.
On 18 May, the African National Congress announced its intention to sue him for defamation for the painting and to force the gallery to remove it from exhibition, its website, and printed materials.
[6] During the defamation debate, comparisons were drawn between Murray's The Spear and fellow South African Ayanda Mabulu's work from 2010, Ngcono ihlwempu kunesibhanxo sesityebi.