10 Facts About Leon Botha

Leon Botha was a South African painter and disk jockey.

Leon Botha was known for his close association with the hip hop group Die Antwoord, as well as for being the second of the world's longest-lived persons with progeria before Sammy Basso who was one of the oldest known survivors of the disease.

Leon Botha was diagnosed with progeria around the age of 4 years.

Leon Botha had no formal training in art beyond high school courses at the Tygerberg Art Centre, but became a full-time painter after graduation, doing commissioned works.

In 2005, Leon Botha successfully underwent heart bypass surgery to prevent a heart attack due to progeria-related atherosclerosis.

In January 2007, Leon Botha had his first solo art exhibition, entitled "Liquid Sword; I am HipHop", revolving around hip-hop culture as a way of life.

Leon Botha was engaged in deejaying and turntablism under the name DJ Solarize.

Leon Botha was featured alongside Watkin Tudor Jones, aka Ninja, in the music video "Enter the Ninja" from Die Antwoord.

Leon Botha died from complications of progeria in Cape Town one day after his 26th birthday.

Leon Botha was the inspiration for the one-act opera Solarize, by Marcin Stanczyk, libretto by Andrzej Szpindler, which debuted in Warsaw in April 2014 at Teatr Wielki, the Polish National Opera.