Curator recommends : Sonja Ferlov Mancoba (1911-84) exhibition in Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen ( 08.02-12.05.2019 )

Sonja Ferlov Mancobas atelier. Foto © Lena Jacobsson.

…Only through each other can we live and breathe, and no-one creates alone…

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba working on a sculpture, Gudhjem, 1951. Photo: Johnny Bonne / Ritzau Scanpix

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba (1911-1984) was a Danish surrealistic artist, who lived and worked in Paris for most of her lifetime. Mancoba’s works represent semi-abstract figures, warriors and masks inspired by African culture, the artist was influenced by from an early stage of her artistic life.

The museum presented 140 art pieces created by Mancoba, mostly clay and plaster sculptures, some of them showed to the public for the very first time, but also her drawings and collages that complemented her art process. 

Although her career started already in the 1930’s, her first Danish monograph written by art historian Troels Andersen was released only in 1979, which was five years before her death. The exhibition in SMK aimed to draw attention to this extraordinary artist who had not got the recognition in her times. The show ran until 12.05, but if you missed that, here is our short photo review. We hope it will inspire you to find out more about this fascinating artist.  

Check current and upcoming exhibitions at National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen