Art Formes is a South African publishing house and gallery founded in 2021 by  art historian Olivia Barrell. Born out of her awareness that South Africa was  lacking a coherent platform that focused specifically on sculpture, Art Formes  spotlights contemporary artists who push the sculptural limitations of clay. This  endeavour led to our recent publication CLAY FORMES: Contemporary Clay from  South Africa, a groundbreaking compilation featuring thirty of South Africa’s  leading artists working with clay and ceramics. We held our inaugural exhibition  at this year’s Investec Cape Town Art Fair, notably as the first exhibitors in the  history of the fair to showcase works exclusively made in clay. 

Art Formes is delighted to be representing three South African artists from  CLAY FORMES at this year’s RMB Latitudes Art Fair: Siyabonga Fani, Hennie  Meyer and Jabulile Nala – each innovating within the field of South African  ceramics. Hennie Meyer, one of the first to introduce clay-based installations to  the country in the 1980s alongside a career-long exploration of ceramic form.  Jabulile Nala, an artist who both inherited and re-shaped the long lineage of  Zulu ceramic tradition with her smoke-fired terracotta vessels. And Siyabonga  Fani, who represents a unique voice within the realm of South African ceramics,  straddling the conflicting identities within his culture.