Louis Olivier

Louis Olivier is a sculptor based in Johannesburg. Born in 1976, in Vereeniging, he grew up in Bethal in Mpumalanga, South Africa. He graduated with a degree in Information Technology from the University of Pretoria in 1998. His art explores the condition of man, our existence and the question of mortality and the after life. He works in various media such as sculpture, drawing and installations. The human body is used as a platform for the known, the unknown, the invisible, the tangible and the mystery of humanity.  This exploration delves into the space between flesh and spirit.

Olivier’s sculpture and drawings deconstruct the human figure and investigate the fragments individually. What follows is a reconstructing of form with a variety of materials, using the physical and material environment in which we find ourselves as a playground. The human form is reassmebled within a limited space. He is not interested in the exterior figure, but what fills the interior, especially the hidden sections of the body. The mystery of the unknown is an important part of the interrogation and it is only when the piece has been completely reworked that the answer can be found.

Olivier worked in the IT field for three years and then made a dramatic career change in 2001, to work as a full-time artist. The challenge of using the traditional figure, creates a sense of anxiety in the artist. “There is temptation to move to other topics but I do not feel I have given the subject thorough investigation, so I continue in the quest,” explains Olivier.

The artist has done corporate commissions for Sasol and Rand Merchant Bank. He created the Sandton Benchmark Project which consists of two life size bronze figures sitting on a public bench. In 2009, Olivier formed part of the Artspace Mentor-ship Program and was mentored by the established artist Wilma Cruise. He now lives and works in Johannesburg after moving his studio from Pretoria in 2012 to establish Workhorse, a bronze foundry and art studio.

At the heart of Olivier’s praxis is the human figure. In his work he aims to re-interpret the figure. He strips the form of unnecessary details. By searching for symbols that relate to memory and experience, his figures depict not so much outward resemblance or the known, but rather mystic memory and embodiment. Like the art that inspired him, his sculptures and drawings allude to emotional states which in turn invoke qualities like strength, vulnerability, honesty and humility. The works may resemble warriors, sentinels with purpose, the mad man,  the desolate tribe.

Olivier is not only a sculptor, but also a bronze foundryman. He remains with his work from inception to completion. In this way his practice links him to the artisans who came before him.

Selected works


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Clockwise Regular 
Bronze
57 x 15 x 15cm 
Edition: 6

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Best fit for that meaning
Cardboard, paper and wood 

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Signs versus Words
Collage, ink and charcoal on paper
400 x 620mm

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A Story with a Strange Beginning
Bronze
370 x 80 x 80mm
Edition: 8

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Tipping point 
Collage, paper, ink and charcoal
76.5 x 112.5cm

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Hornbill
Collage, ink and charcoal on paper
1120 x 1515mm

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