INFORMATION

BIOGRAPHY

Portrait by Matthew Bradley.

Chris Soal (b. 1994, South Africa) is an award-winning, emerging artist.
Living and working between Johannesburg — a “city in tension” as Soal calls it — and Cape Town, has had a great impact on the artist’s work, as this position is “often about locating oneself in that space, both as a response and a critique.” Through his use of discarded and mundane ephemera, such as toothpicks and bottle caps, in conjunction with concrete, rebar, electric fencing cable and other industrial materials, Soal’s work examines structural impacts on urban living, reflects on the individual in relation to the collective, and foregrounds ecological concerns.

Soal’s spatial approach to sculpture reveals a sensitivity to texture, light and form, expressed in an abstract minimalist language. While, conceptually, his works refer to the socio-political context of their making, highlighting the histories embedded in the found material, and utilising them in a way that challenges societal assumptions of value.

In 2017, Soal graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts (Hons) at the University of Witwatersrand. He has received numerous awards, such as the Claire & Edoardo Villa Will Trust Grant, 2020; the SEED Award from the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA), 2019 and the PPC Imaginarium Award in 2018. He has been awarded residencies by the South African Foundation of Contemporary Art, Knysna, South Africa; RAW Material Company, Dakar, Senegal); Residenza Roma by Montoro12, Italy, and by the Nirox Sculpture Park at the Cradle of Humankind in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He has exhibited in group shows at institutions such as the Nirox Sculpture Park, 2021; Iziko South African National Museum, 2020; FRAC MECA, Bordeaux, 2019; Stellenbosch University Museum, 2018, and Wits Art Museum, 2017.

Notably, Soal was selected as one of ten contemporary artists to participate in redesigning three handbags as part of the 5th edition of the Dior Lady Art project.

Recent solo exhibitions include Soal’s solo booth at Art Brussels 2022 and As below so above, in 2021, both with WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery.

CONTACT

CHRIS SOAL
︎ Instagram
︎ Email

NEWS

APRIL ‘22 - ART BRUSSELS

WHATIFTHEWORLD and Chris Soal are pleased to present a solo presentation of new works at Art Brussels 2022. View the presentation at Booth D20 in the Discovery Section.

︎Click here for more information.

APRIL ‘22 - EXPO CHICAGO

Chris Soal formed part of a group presentation by WHATIFTHEWORLD in the 2022 Expo Chicago.

︎Click here for more information.

MARCH ‘22 - ARTIST IN RESIDENCY WITH SAFFCA.EU

Chris Soal is one of the first 2022 resident artists in the SAFFCA.EU artist in residency programme.

︎Click here for more information.

OCTOBER ‘21 - NORVAL FOUNDATION

Chris Soal is pleased to have been included in the announced shortlist for The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize.

The 30 shortlisted artworks are presented in an exhibition at Norval Foundation until 28 February 2022, and form part of The Norval Sovereign African Art Auction hosted by Sotheby’s.

︎Click here for more information.

MAY ‘21 - NIROX FOUNDATION

WHATIFTHEWORLD and Chris Soal are pleased to present Elegy at The Nirox Foundation’s The Covered Space. In response to the context and conditions of the exhibition space, key works spanning the last four years have been selected from the artist’s own collection.

Elegy touches on themes of ruins, decay, erosion, the relic and effigy, and stands in conversation with the artist’s first large-scale outdoor installation, Relic (2019-2021).

︎Click here for more information.

MAY ’21 - NIROX FOUNDATION SCULPTURE PARK

Chris Soal is pleased to announce the inclusion of his work in the group exhibition – Margins of Error at the Nirox Foundation Sculpture Garden in Johannesburg.

︎Click here for more information.

PRESS

PALIMPSEST: CHRIS SOAL’S SCULPTURES REVEAL MANY MEANINGS
︎ by Drew Haller for That Eclectic

INTERVIEW
︎ with Adam Hencz for Artland

INTERVIEW
︎ with Artoday

INTERVIEW
︎ on As below so above for Tongues

INTERVIEW
︎ with Emilie Froment for Habitat Magazine

AMORPHOUS - THE SCULPTURES
OF CHRIS SOAL
︎ by Andrew Lasane for COLOSSAL

JOHANNESBURG ARTIST’S TOOTHPICK SCULPTURES POINT WAY FOR AFRICAN ABSTRACTION
︎ by Graham Wood on Wanted Online

FIELD OF VISION REVIEW
︎ by Ashraf Jamal on ArtThrob

STUDIO

WORK

WORK

INFO