On February 9, Beginning Sculpture students had a unique opportunity to Zoom with South African artist, Chris Soal, to learn more about his work. Soal transforms mundane materials, such as toothpicks and bottlecaps, into beautiful and complex three-dimensional forms. For students, it was inspiring to realize that "you can use anything you find around you to make art," William Stovall '24. "You wouldn't think to put [bottlecaps] in an art piece, but Mr. Soal uses them to make amazing sculptures."

In addition to its artistic merits, the conversation with Soal was also a cross-cultural exchange that gave students greater insight into life in South Africa. When first addressing the class, Soal reminded the group that while it was a chilly morning in Houston, it was a summer afternoon in Cape Town, where he lives and works.

A highlight of the virtual session was the tour of Soal's studio. Soal walked students around his workspace, showing both completed and in-progress projects and explaining his process and ideas. Since Soal's artworks are abstract and don't depict anything recognizable, his commentary was especially interesting to students. "I learned about abstraction, and how something that seems basic, could mean a lot [and] take a lot of time to make," reflected Lawrence Cook '22. Gigi Wong '25 appreciated Soal for "opening my eyes to seeing a deeper meaning behind art."

Sculpture teacher Lauren Cunningham first reached out to Soal in September 2021 with a simple, technical question about his toothpick sculptures. When Soal responded, almost four months later, he graciously offered to do a Zoom with her students to answer any other questions they might have. Cunningham is grateful her class had this experience. "It's pretty rare that students get to interact with an artist as thoughtful, talented, and successful as Chris, especially one who lives on the other side of the world!"

To watch the recording, click here.