Deborah Bell

Bell studied at the University of the Witwatersrand where she received her BFA followed by a MFA in 1986. Since then she has exhibited extensively both locally and internationally. Her work is in many prestigious local and international collections including MOMA (USA), The National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Hara Museum (Tokyo) and the SA National Gallery in Cape Town. Bell works in a variety of media from animations (where she collaborated with Robert Hodgins and William Kentridge), to hand-built clay sculptures, bronzes, works on paper and paintings.

Bell's conceptual concerns refer to classical history, mysticism, goddesses and her place in ancient and contemporary Africa and the connections between the two. She works intuitively and the meaning of the work will often only reveal itself to her over time. This allows the viewer to respond to the work on their own terms. Bell's work evokes a strong connection to archetypes that transcend language and cultural barriers.