South African DJ and artist Leon Botha has succumbed to complications of progeria.
Botha DJed under the name Solarize and came to the attention of many in the music world when he collaborated with South African rap terrorists Die Antwoord.
Botha appeared in their ‘Enter The Ninja’ video, acted as a warm-up DJ and appeared on stage with the group.
He was an artist in his right, though, becoming a full-time painter after graduating school and staging two solo shows and the photo collaboration "Who Am I ? ...Transgressions" with Gordon Clark in Cape Town.
But Botha was plagued by health issues throughout his life after being diagnosed with the rare genetic condition progeria (meaning “prematurely old” in Greek) at age four.
Botha underwent heart bypass surgery in 2005 to prevent a heart attack, and suffered a stroke last year.
One of the world’s longest surviving progeria sufferers, he passed away of heart failure in Cape Town on June 6, two days after his 26th birthday.
Die Antwoord’s Ninja tweeted “REST IN PEACE LITTLE BUDDHA”.
Botha’s official website reads “Goodbye Leon. You and your art will be missed”.
