Sonja Ferlov Mancoba

She was uncompromising, intensely self-critical and lived most of her life in poverty. But her message of community continues to inspire today. This spring's exhibition at SMK, 'Sonja Ferlov Mancoba', focuses on one of the most important Danish artists of the modern age. Learn the whole story about this prominent sculptor, and explore her poetic, warlike figures. The exhibition follows Sonja Ferlov Mancoba (1911-84) throughout her career, beginning in the 1930s where she was affiliated with the artists' association Linien (The Line) and explored Surrealism alongside fellow artists such as Richard Mortensen and Ejler Bille. In 1936 she set out for Paris, where she rented a studio next to Alberto Giacometti, now a world-famous artist. Ferlov Mancoba created semi-abstract beings, warrior figures and masks out of clay and plaster. However, she was extremely critical of her own work, discarding many of her pieces. She even threw one of her most important works into a lake because it would not 'behave.' She never really got involved with the commercial art market: and as a result she lived in great poverty.