ABOUT ART FORMES

Founded in 2021 by Sorbonne-trained art historian Olivia Barrell, Art Formes is the first African gallery purely dedicated to contemporary African sculpture; showcasing previously marginalised mediums that have been a rich source of undocumented artistic expression on the African continent. Both gallery and publishing house, Art Formes published its inaugural volume in 2023, CLAY FORMES, on clay and ceramics within contemporary South African art. 2025 saw the opening of the Art Formes gallery space, situated in the historical setting of The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, Cape Town. Although relatively new on the contemporary African art scene, Art Formes has already become the pioneering voice on contemporary African clay; spearheading a growing appreciation for this sculptural medium, both amongst local and international audiences. 

The word « forme » is borrowed from the French meaning « shape, form or object [of art] » attempting to pioneer new vocabulary for contemporary sculptural works. Art Formes was born to record and promote African sculptural legacies, both originating from the past and unfurling into the future, and looks forward to bringing sculptural form, written narratives and considered curation to the forefront of the contemporary African art scene. 

“Form, from the Latin ‘forma’, meaning shape. It means the inherent nature of an object, that in which the essence of a thing consists.” [Ali Smith, Artful]