Born in 1919 in Pittem, West Flanders, Frans Claerhout came to South Africa in 1946 at the age of 27 to serve as a Catholic missionary. He resided on a farm in the South African province of the Free State, not far from Bloemfontein. He was a priest by trade, and he focused on his painting during his free time.

After moving to Thaba Nchu in 1960, he began painting more frequently and gained notoriety for his distinctive style, which featured bright colors and objects like sunflowers, donkeys, and portraits of people he encountered in daily life. 2006 saw the death of Claerhout, then 87, from pneumonia.Warm colors, rich impasto paint, distorted figures, humor, and compassion are characteristics of some of his works.