INFORMATION
Portrait by Matt Slater.
Chris Soal (b. 1994) is a South African artist whose critically acclaimed sculpture practice—shaped by a Johannesburg upbringing and now based in Cape Town—has garnered international recognition for its innovative engagement with materiality, perception, and place.
Soal’s studio-based practice is sculptural in its output, working with objects and materials in ways which show not only a conceptual engagement with the contexts and histories of the objects, but that also re-enforce the body as a site for knowledge reception and production. Soal’s works seek to make a poetic statement through the simplest of means, engaging the viewer’s spatial awareness and perceptual habits while challenging core societal preconceptions of value and hierarchy.
Through his use of discarded and mundane ephemera, such as toothpicks and bottle caps, along with concrete, rebar, electric fencing cable, sandpaper and other industrial materials, the artist intuitively develops the familiar to the point of the uncanny. Soal’s works can be considered as a social abstraction, deeply rooted in, and reflective of, having grown up in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Working symbiotically with his materials, Soal utilises the inherent physical characteristics of the objects to transform them through processes of aggregation, combination and erosion to interrogate views of nature and culture as a binary concept – seeking to foreground pressing ecological concerns by repositioning the viewer as an active agent within the contemporary environment. Despite the artificiality of his materials, his process allows them to take on biomorphic qualities or evoke natural phenomena, expressing his interest in their phenomenological qualities.
NEWS
‘25 - BROOKLYN MUSEUM
A piece of Soal’s work was gifted by Rona and Jeffrey Citrin to the Brooklyn Museum, in honour of the Brooklyn Museum's 200th Anniversary. You can find it in the Contemporary Art, Northeast Corner, Overlook Gallery.
‘25 - MACAAL
Located in Marrakech, Morocco, MACAAL shows its permanent collection as apart of its Seven Contours, One Collection exhibition, displaying Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - DALLAS ART FAIR
Taking place in Dallas from April 10th-13th, 2025, the Dallas Art Fair will explore the theme 'The Importance of Art Amid Social Unrest.' Pierro Atchugarry Gallery will be participating in this important event, showcasing Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - MIART
Milan's premier modern and contemporary art fair, from April 4th - 6th, 2025, at Allianz Mico, continues to be a significant platform for international contemporary artist, Chris Soal.
APRIL ‘25 - SP Arte
Hosted in São Paulo from April 2nd-6th, 2025, the Latin American Art Fair showcases the best of contemporary art. Pierro Atchugarry Gallery is proud to present a curated selection of Soal’s works at this prestigious event.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - THE CAPE TOWN ART FAIR
The 12th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from Feb 21th - 23rd. The theme "Celebrating Art, Creativity, and Exploration Through the Power of Play" resonated with Soal's dynamic and thought-provoking pieces.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - ZONA MACO
Chris Soal showcased his work at Mexico City's esteemed Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco from the 5th - 9th. As a result of this exhibition, he was granted a residency in Bolivia, where he will further explore and develop his artistic practice.
PRESS
UNEARTHING LAYERS: CHRIS SOAL’S ‘SURFACE TENSION’
︎ by Misha Krynauw for Artthrob
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
︎ by Misha Krynauw for Artthrob
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
︎ by Ashraf Jamal on ArtThrob
CURRICULUM VITAE
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
COLLABORATIONS
AWARDS
RESIDENCIES
COLLECTIONS
2024 - Solo Presentation at The Armory Show, WHATIFTHEWORLD Gallery,
New York, USA
2024 - Vestige,
Eduardo Secci Gallery,
Pietrasanta, Italy
2024 - Surface tension,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2023 - Finds taken for wonders,
Piero Atchugarry Gallery,
Miami, USA
2022 - Remains to be seen,
Eduardo Secci Gallery,
Milan, Italy
2022 - Solo presentation at Art Brussels,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Brussels, Belgium
2021 - Elegy,
Nirox Foundation,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2021 - As below so above,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Field of Vision,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Solo Presentation at
TOMORROWS/TODAY,
Curated by Tumelo Mosaka,
Investec Cape Town Art Fair,
Cape Town, South Africa
New York, USA
2024 - Vestige,
Eduardo Secci Gallery,
Pietrasanta, Italy
2024 - Surface tension,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2023 - Finds taken for wonders,
Piero Atchugarry Gallery,
Miami, USA
2022 - Remains to be seen,
Eduardo Secci Gallery,
Milan, Italy
2022 - Solo presentation at Art Brussels,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Brussels, Belgium
2021 - Elegy,
Nirox Foundation,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2021 - As below so above,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Field of Vision,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Solo Presentation at
TOMORROWS/TODAY,
Curated by Tumelo Mosaka,
Investec Cape Town Art Fair,
Cape Town, South Africa
2025 - Breaking the Mold: Brooklyn Museum at 200.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
2025 - Seven Contours, One Collection. Permanent exhibition at the Museum of African
Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL),
Morocco
2025 - The Floridi Collection: A Journey Through History and Contemporary Art - curated by
Giuliana Benassi. Fondazione D’Arc,
Rome, Italy
2025 - The Unspoken Landcape, WHATIFTHEWORLD, CFA gallery,
Milan, Italy
2024 - My World curated by Hans den Hartog Jager, Singer Laren,
Laren, Netherlands
2024 - Collection Majudia, Selection of Works from the Collection - Summer 2024, Arsenal Contemporary, Montreal, Canada
2024 - IOTA24, John Curtin Gallery,
Perth, Australia
2023 - l’Art de Rien,
CENTRALE
Brussels, Belgium
2022 - To Whistle Back,
Oude Leeskamer,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2022 - A Quiet New Focus,
Villa Legodi Centre for Sculpture,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2022 - Seeds of the Fig, Krone x WHATIFTHEWORLD, curated by RESEVOIR, Tulbagh, South Africa
2022 - Earth Power!,
Montoro 12,
Brussels, Belgium
2022 - The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize Finalists Exhibition,
Norval Foundation,
Cape Town, South Africa
2021 - In Times Like These...and Other Stories,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2021 - Witness, curated by Natasha Becker
Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Miami, USA
2021 - 40 under 40, curated by Igsaan Martin.
Twee Jonge Gezellen Wine Estate, Krone x WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Tulbagh, South Africa
2021 - Margins of Error,
Nirox Sculpture Park,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2020 – Matereality
Iziko South African National Gallery
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Process
BKhz,
Braamfontein, South Africa
2019 – Il est une fois à l’Ouest
Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA
Bordeaux, France
2018 – Germination
RAW Material Company
Dakar, Senegal
2018 – Forward?
Curated by Ulrich Wolff and Elizabeth Miller-Vermeulen,
Stellenbosch University Museum,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2018 – Fresh Voices
Guns and Rain Gallery
Johannesburg, South Africa
2017 – NEWWORK19
Wits Art Museum
Johannesburg, South Africa
2016 – Activate/Captivate: Collections Re-engagement
Wits Art Museum
Johannesburg, South Africa
Brooklyn, New York, USA
2025 - Seven Contours, One Collection. Permanent exhibition at the Museum of African
Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL),
Morocco
2025 - The Floridi Collection: A Journey Through History and Contemporary Art - curated by
Giuliana Benassi. Fondazione D’Arc,
Rome, Italy
2025 - The Unspoken Landcape, WHATIFTHEWORLD, CFA gallery,
Milan, Italy
2024 - My World curated by Hans den Hartog Jager, Singer Laren,
Laren, Netherlands
2024 - Collection Majudia, Selection of Works from the Collection - Summer 2024, Arsenal Contemporary, Montreal, Canada
2024 - IOTA24, John Curtin Gallery,
Perth, Australia
2023 - l’Art de Rien,
CENTRALE
Brussels, Belgium
2022 - To Whistle Back,
Oude Leeskamer,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2022 - A Quiet New Focus,
Villa Legodi Centre for Sculpture,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2022 - Seeds of the Fig, Krone x WHATIFTHEWORLD, curated by RESEVOIR, Tulbagh, South Africa
2022 - Earth Power!,
Montoro 12,
Brussels, Belgium
2022 - The Norval Sovereign African Art Prize Finalists Exhibition,
Norval Foundation,
Cape Town, South Africa
2021 - In Times Like These...and Other Stories,
WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Cape Town, South Africa
2021 - Witness, curated by Natasha Becker
Piero Atchugarry Gallery, Miami, USA
2021 - 40 under 40, curated by Igsaan Martin.
Twee Jonge Gezellen Wine Estate, Krone x WHATIFTHEWORLD,
Tulbagh, South Africa
2021 - Margins of Error,
Nirox Sculpture Park,
Johannesburg, South Africa
2020 – Matereality
Iziko South African National Gallery
Cape Town, South Africa
2019 – Process
BKhz,
Braamfontein, South Africa
2019 – Il est une fois à l’Ouest
Frac Nouvelle-Aquitaine MÉCA
Bordeaux, France
2018 – Germination
RAW Material Company
Dakar, Senegal
2018 – Forward?
Curated by Ulrich Wolff and Elizabeth Miller-Vermeulen,
Stellenbosch University Museum,
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2018 – Fresh Voices
Guns and Rain Gallery
Johannesburg, South Africa
2017 – NEWWORK19
Wits Art Museum
Johannesburg, South Africa
2016 – Activate/Captivate: Collections Re-engagement
Wits Art Museum
Johannesburg, South Africa
2020 – Selected as one of ten contemporary artists to participate in the 5th edition of the Dior Lady Art project.
2025 - Residency Award by Fundación Patiño in recognition of artist’s presentation at Zona Maco,
held at Villa Albina, Bolivia
2024 – African Leadership Initiative - Young Leaders Fellow (5th Class)
2021 – Finalist, Norval Sovereign African Art Prize, Cape Town, South Africa
2020 – Recipient of The Claire & Edoardo Villa Will Trust Grant
2019 – SEED Award
Presented by the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA) - For career acknolwedgment
2018 – PPC Imaginarium Award, Overall winner, and winner of the Sculpture category
2025 - Fellow of the Ampersand Foundation. Residency, NYC
2025 - Residency Award by Fundación Patiño in recognition of artist’s presentation at Zona Maco,
held at Villa Albina, Bolivia
2022 - Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art Residency Award (SAFFCA.EU), La Cambre, Brussels, Belgium
2021 - Nirox Foundation Residency, Nirox Sculpture Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
2019 – Roma Residenza, hosted by Montoro 12, Rome, Italy
2018 – Fellow of the RAW Academié Session 5, directed by Otobong Nkanga. RAW Material Company. Dakar, Senegal
2018 – Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art. Co-resident with Minnette Vari. Entabeni Farm, Knysna, South Africa
2021 - Nirox Foundation Residency, Nirox Sculpture Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
2019 – Roma Residenza, hosted by Montoro 12, Rome, Italy
2018 – Fellow of the RAW Academié Session 5, directed by Otobong Nkanga. RAW Material Company. Dakar, Senegal
2018 – Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art. Co-resident with Minnette Vari. Entabeni Farm, Knysna, South Africa
Chris Soal has works in numerous private and public collections, both in South Africa and Internationally. Notable collections include:
The Brooklyn Museum, USA
de Young Museum, The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, USA
The MACAAL Museum, Morocco
MONA - The Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia
Fondazione D’Arc, Rome, Italy
The Bunker Artspace, (The Beth Rudin DeWoody collection), USA
Galila’s P.O.C., Brussels, Belgium
The Braunsfelder Family Collection, Germany
The Perez Collection, Miami, USA
LAM Museum, Lisse, Netherlands
The Kelly and Scott Mueller Collection, USA
The EKARD Collection, Netherlands, USA
Frédéric de Goldschmidt Collection - Cloud Seven, Brussels
Arsenal Contemporary | The Majudia Collection, Montreal; Toronto; New York
The Scheryn Art Collection, South Africa
Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA), South Africa, France, Belgium
Kavita Chellaram Art collection, London, Lagos
Martin Nielsen Collection, Denmark
D+C Family Collection and Art Foundation, Miami, Bogota
The Trevor Noah Collection, South Africa & USA
Francesca Lavazza Collection, Turin, Italy
The Brooklyn Museum, USA
de Young Museum, The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, USA
The MACAAL Museum, Morocco
MONA - The Museum of Old and New Art, Tasmania, Australia
Fondazione D’Arc, Rome, Italy
The Bunker Artspace, (The Beth Rudin DeWoody collection), USA
Galila’s P.O.C., Brussels, Belgium
The Braunsfelder Family Collection, Germany
The Perez Collection, Miami, USA
LAM Museum, Lisse, Netherlands
The Kelly and Scott Mueller Collection, USA
The EKARD Collection, Netherlands, USA
Frédéric de Goldschmidt Collection - Cloud Seven, Brussels
Arsenal Contemporary | The Majudia Collection, Montreal; Toronto; New York
The Scheryn Art Collection, South Africa
Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art (SAFFCA), South Africa, France, Belgium
Kavita Chellaram Art collection, London, Lagos
Martin Nielsen Collection, Denmark
D+C Family Collection and Art Foundation, Miami, Bogota
The Trevor Noah Collection, South Africa & USA
Francesca Lavazza Collection, Turin, Italy
INFORMATION
BIOGRAPHY
Portrait by Matt Slater.
Chris Soal (b. 1994) is a South African artist whose critically acclaimed sculpture practice—shaped by a Johannesburg upbringing and now based in Cape Town—has garnered international recognition for its innovative engagement with materiality, perception, and place.
Soal’s studio-based practice is sculptural in its output, working with objects and materials in ways which show not only a conceptual engagement with the contexts and histories of the objects, but that also re-enforce the body as a site for knowledge reception and production. Soal’s works seek to make a poetic statement through the simplest of means, engaging the viewer’s spatial awareness and perceptual habits while challenging core societal preconceptions of value and hierarchy.
Through his use of discarded and mundane ephemera, such as toothpicks and bottle caps, along with concrete, rebar, electric fencing cable, sandpaper and other industrial materials, the artist intuitively develops the familiar to the point of the uncanny. Soal’s works can be considered as a social abstraction, deeply rooted in, and reflective of, having grown up in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Working symbiotically with his materials, Soal utilises the inherent physical characteristics of the objects to transform them through processes of aggregation, combination and erosion to interrogate views of nature and culture as a binary concept – seeking to foreground pressing ecological concerns by repositioning the viewer as an active agent within the contemporary environment. Despite the artificiality of his materials, his process allows them to take on biomorphic qualities or evoke natural phenomena, expressing his interest in their phenomenological qualities.
NEWS
‘25 - BROOKLYN MUSEUM
A piece of Soal’s work was gifted by Rona and Jeffrey Citrin to the Brooklyn Museum, in honour of the Brooklyn Museum's 200th Anniversary. You can find it in the Contemporary Art, Northeast Corner, Overlook Gallery.
‘25 - MACAAL
Located in Marrakech, Morocco, MACAAL shows its permanent collection as apart of its Seven Contours, One Collection exhibition, displaying a piece of Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - DALLAS ART FAIR
Taking place in Dallas from April 10th-13th, 2025, the Dallas Art Fair will explore the theme 'The Importance of Art Amid Social Unrest.' Pierro Atchugarry Gallery will be participating in this important event, showcasing Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - MIART
Milan's premier modern and contemporary art fair, from April 4th - 6th, 2025, at Allianz Mico, continues to be a significant platform for international contemporary artist, Chris Soal.
APRIL ‘25 - SP Arte
Hosted in São Paulo from April 2nd-6th, 2025, the Latin American Art Fair showcases the best of contemporary art. Pierro Atchugarry Gallery is proud to present a curated selection of Soal’s works at this prestigious event.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - THE CAPE TOWN ART FAIR
The 12th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from Feb 21th - 23rd. The theme "Celebrating Art, Creativity, and Exploration Through the Power of Play" resonated with Soal's dynamic and thought-provoking pieces.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - ZONA MACO
Chris Soal showcased his work at Mexico City's esteemed Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco from the 5th - 9th. As a result of this exhibition, he was granted a residency in Bolivia, where he will further explore and develop his artistic practice.
A piece of Soal’s work was gifted by Rona and Jeffrey Citrin to the Brooklyn Museum, in honour of the Brooklyn Museum's 200th Anniversary. You can find it in the Contemporary Art, Northeast Corner, Overlook Gallery.
‘25 - MACAAL
Located in Marrakech, Morocco, MACAAL shows its permanent collection as apart of its Seven Contours, One Collection exhibition, displaying a piece of Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - DALLAS ART FAIR
Taking place in Dallas from April 10th-13th, 2025, the Dallas Art Fair will explore the theme 'The Importance of Art Amid Social Unrest.' Pierro Atchugarry Gallery will be participating in this important event, showcasing Soal’s work.
APRIL ‘25 - MIART
Milan's premier modern and contemporary art fair, from April 4th - 6th, 2025, at Allianz Mico, continues to be a significant platform for international contemporary artist, Chris Soal.
APRIL ‘25 - SP Arte
Hosted in São Paulo from April 2nd-6th, 2025, the Latin American Art Fair showcases the best of contemporary art. Pierro Atchugarry Gallery is proud to present a curated selection of Soal’s works at this prestigious event.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - THE CAPE TOWN ART FAIR
The 12th edition of the Investec Cape Town Art Fair took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from Feb 21th - 23rd. The theme "Celebrating Art, Creativity, and Exploration Through the Power of Play" resonated with Soal's dynamic and thought-provoking pieces.
FEBRUARY ‘25 - ZONA MACO
Chris Soal showcased his work at Mexico City's esteemed Centro Cultural Universitario Tlatelolco from the 5th - 9th. As a result of this exhibition, he was granted a residency in Bolivia, where he will further explore and develop his artistic practice.
UNEARTHING LAYERS: CHRIS SOAL’S ‘SURFACE TENSION’
︎ by Misha Krynauw for Artthrob
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
︎ by Misha Krynauw for Artthrob
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