Biography
Anton Smit is a widely revered South African sculptor, born in Boksburg, South Africa (August 1954). Completely self-taught, he entered his first sculpting competition at the age of sixteen, and won the first prize. He received an honourable mention in 1988 at the SA Association of Arts’ New Signatures Competition exhibition and proceeded to coin the first prize in the same competition in 1979.
Following successful exhibitions in Nelspruit, White River, Cape Town and Pretoria, Smit turned to sculpting full-time to fulfill the demand for his work by galleries and private collectors alike.
During 1990, international recognition came in the form of exhibitions in Rome and Milan, an invitation to exhibit in New York and Hong Kong as well as a return exhibition in Italy in 1993. More exhibitions have followed in Bonn, Washington, Singapore and Koln. Since Anton was recognised as a budding sculptor in his early years he has never looked back. With consistent hard work and continuous international and local exhibitions, ever increasing search for new and deeper artistic expression, Anton Smit is arguably one of the major sculptors alive today.
Widely revered for his overwhelming heads and monumental bronze sculptures, evoking themes of suffering, reconciliation, glory and sublimation. His works grace public and private collections locally and abroad, was featured at SCOPE Art Fair New York 2017.
His body of work comprises towering human figures, nudes, impressive heads, masks, hands, angels, floating and stretching figures, warriors as well as abstract works, He works with mostly steel, metal, stones, a unique iron and polymer cast mixture, and bronze.
Anton’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Pretoria Art Museum, Rembrandt Foundation, Graff/Delaire Collection.
