Chris Soal graduated from the University of Witwatersrand with a Bachelors in Fine Art
(Honours) in 2017. He works as a cinematographer at the Centre for the Less Good Idea,
founded by South African-born internationally renowned artist William Kentridge, as a
writer on art and culture for Bubblegum Club, and as an artist in his own capacity.
Exhibitions
Selected Group shows:
NEWWORK 2017 – Wits School of Arts Grad Show. 2017. Wits Art Museum, Johannesburg.
Cassirer Welz Award Ceremony. 2017. Strauss and Co. Fine Art Auctioneers. Johannesburg
Washington186 Inaugural Exhibition. 2017. Clifton Boulder in association with Aeroplastics
Contemporary, Brussels, Belgium.
All the Voices. 2017. Fried Contemporary, Pretoria. Curated by No End Contemporary Art Space.
Wits Young Artist Award. 2017. Group exhibition held at The Point of Order, Johannesburg
Taxi Art Foundation Award Top 30 Exhibition. 2017. Lizamore and Associates Gallery, Johannesburg.
Sixteen Hundred. 2017. A group exhibition at No End – Contemporary Art Space, Johannesburg.
What’s in it for you? 2017. A group exhibition at No End – Contemporary Art Space, Johannesburg.
undermine – a collaborative group occupation. 2016. Curated by Chris Soal. Held at The Point of
Order, Johannesburg. For documentation please see: http://undermine-occupy.tumblr.com/
Sine/Sign – Tsi Dza To Madze Meli O. 2016. A Wits Fine Art Print Portfolio group exhibition with a live
auction, held at The Point of Order, Johannesburg.
Kusthalle 3000 – The 8 Holes. 2016. A group exhibition of performances and interventions at Beyers
Naudè Square, Johannesburg. Curated by Thomas Geiger
Shift. 2016. Group exhibition held at Assemblage Studios, Johannesburg, to coincide with Art Week
Joburg.
Wits Young Artist Award. 2016. Group exhibition held at The Point of Order, Johannesburg.
Future Forecast – The Emancipation of Imagination. 2016. Group exhibition held at Galerie NOKO,
PE.
#ULTRACONTEMPORARY#EMERGENCYART#AFRICA. 2016. Held at the MOAD – Museum of African
Design. Johannesburg
Cool Capital Sculpture Biennale – Saadjies. 2016. A sculpture Biennale held in Pretoria (Tshwane) and touring the country before travelling to London, Amsterdam, Brussels and Utrecht.
MustRise. 2016. Held at artEC (EPSAC) in Port Elizabeth, travelling exhibition to the Grahamstown
National Arts Festival in June 2016.
Activate/Captivate: Collections re-engagement at Wits Art Museum, 2015-2016. Wits Art Museum
Awards:
PPC Imaginarium Award – Overall Winner – 2018
PPC Imaginarium Award – Winner of the Sculpture category – 2018
2017 Cassirer Welz Art Award – Top 5 Finalists
Wits Young Artist Award 2017 – Shortlisted Artist
Taxi Art Foundation Award 2017. Top 30
Wits Young Artist Award 2016 (previously Martienson Award) – Shortlisted Artist
Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Award 2015 – Top 100
Residencies:
Chris Soal was awarded a residency in 2018 by the South African Foundation for Contemporary Art
Residency is held in Knysna at Entabeni Farm for a duration of six weeks alongside fellow South
African artist, Minnette Vari. Jointly sponsored by Axon Investments.
Art Fairs:
Brussels, Affordable Art Fair, 15 – 18 March 2017 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Hamburg, Affordable Art Fair, 15 – 18 November 2017 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Johannesburg, Turbine Art Fair, 13 – 16 July 2017 – Represented by No End Contemporary
London, Affordable Art Fair, 9 – 12 March 2017 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Brussels, Affordable Art Fair, 17 – 20 February 2017 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Hamburg, Affordable Art Fair, 10 – 13 November 2016 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Amsterdam, Affordable Art Fair, 26 – 30 October 2016 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Stockholm, Affordable Art Fair, 11 – 15 October 2016 – Represented by Clifton Boulder
Collections:
Chris Soal has work in numerous private collections, both in South Africa and Internationally. His
work is also in the collections of The Department of Arts and Culture (Mzansi Grant for the Saadjies
permanent collection), the Wits Art Museum, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary
Art (SAFFCA), Axon (Investment Services), and St John’s College, Houghton.
