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Mr Gordon Froud​

Head of Visual Arts
Name: Gordon Froud​
Location: 125, FADA Building, APB Bunting Road Campus
FADA Management Staff, FADA Visual Art Permanent Academic Staff  Staff Members

Contact Details:
Tel: +27(0)11-559-1116

Email: fgordon@uj.ac.za​

About Mr Gordon Froud​

Year Leader: 3rd Year

Module Leader: Sculpture
Lectures in:
Sculpture I, II & III
Studio Practice III & IV
Postgraduate Studies

Qualifications: BAFA (Wits); HDip.Ed (PG) (Wits); MTech:Fine Art (UJ), Ph.D.: Art and Design (UJ – in progress)

Short Biography:

Gordon Froud in the current Head of Department of DoVA and has been actively involved in the South African and international art world as an artist, educator, curator and gallerist for more than 30 years. He has shown on hundreds of solo and group shows. Froud graduated with a BA (FA) Hons from the University of Witwatersrand, and a master’s degree from the University of Johannesburg, where he runs the Sculpture department as a senior lecturer. He has curated numerous group exhibitions that have traveled the country. He regularly shows on more than 20 exhibitions a year including showing in Washington, Boone North Carolina, The Hague, and Paris. He was selected as the first Site-Specific artist in Residence at Plettenberg Bay for 2012 and again for 2013 as a participating artist in the Site-Specific land art Biennale. Three sculptures were selected for an exhibition of South African Sculpture in the Hague in May 2012, one of which was acquired by the SA Embassy there. He showed at Nirox Sculpture Park and at Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens as part of the ‘Heavy Metal’ outdoor Sculpture exhibition in 2013 and 2014. He is represented in many public and private collections. Froud curated 2 shows of SA contemporary Art to Appalachian State University, North Carolina, and the Beijing Biennale 2015 which were also shown at Pretoria Art Museum and University of Johannesburg Art gallery. His two-year cycle of work, a solo show of more than 150 new works, has was showcased at the Standard Bank gallery from April to June 2018 as Harmonia: Sacred Geometry, pattern of existence. This how has traveled to various major galleries and museums in 2018 and 2019. Froud regularly shows on more than 25 shows a year. He is reading for a Ph.D. at the University of Johannesburg.

CV: Acces here

Selected Curatorial Projects:

2011 Curated ‘Altered Pieces’ – A tribute to the lyrics of Leonard Cohen – Thompson Gallery, Jhb, Pandora Art House – Pta and Aardklop Festival – Potchefstroom.
2013 Curated “Tom Waits for no Man” – KKNK – Oudtshoorn, UJ Art Gallery – Jhb, Grande Provence Wine Estate – Franschoek, and Stegman gallery – Bloemfontein
2013 Curated Rooftop V – St Lorient Art Gallery – Pretoria
2013 Curated Alice 150 – Celebrating 150 years of Alice in Wonderland – Art lovers – Pta
2014 Curated ‘Cathedra’ – Chair exhibition, Bayliss gallery and University of Johannesburg Art gallery
2014 Twenty: Contemporary SA Art – Appalachian State University North Carolina USA
2015 Co-curated ‘Art in the time of democracy’ Beijing Biennale
2016 Curated “I objekt” – Art It is Gallery, Parkwood, Jhb
2016 Curated the First Inner City Courtyard Sculpture exhibition – No 1 Eloff Street, Jhb
2016 Curated Ceramics Sculpture Exhibition for Ceramics SA – Arts Association, Pta
2016 Co curated Animation Bash for Art Assoc – Pta
2017 Curated Mute Wisdom, Inaugural exhibition – Almenkerk Wine Estate and Sculpture Park, Elgin, Cape Town
2017 Curated Sculpture show for Boschendal Wine Estate, Franschoek
2019 Curated and showed on ‘Terugblik’ – Celebrating 25 years of the KKNK festival artists – Oudtshoorn
2019 Curated Ampersand Foundation 21 year celebration show – University of Jhb Art Gallery
2020 Curated “Pearl” – a tribute show to Janis Joplin – Artbox Gallery – Pta
Selected Exhibitions:

2014

  • Deconstructing Dogma – University of Jhb Art gallery
  • Winter Sculpture Fair – Nirox Sculpture Park – Cradle of Humankind
  • Twenty: Contemporary SA Art – Appalachian State University, Boone North Carolina USA
  • Performing (Wo)Man – performing gender roles – University of Jhb Art Gallery
  • Ifalethu – bringing it back – UNISA Art Gallery, Pta.
  • Play – Nirox Sculpture Park
  • ABSA Gallery Auction – Jhb
  • Turbine Art Fair – Artsource stand – Jhb
  • Capital Future – Fried Contemporary, Pretoria
  • Cool capital installation at Pretoria Girls High School – Pta
  • Dignitas Award portfolio – University of Jhb
  • Karoo Fracking exhibition – Oliewenhuis Art Gallery – Bloemfontein
2015
  • EQUUS – Cavalli Wine Estate – Somerset West
  • TWENTY – Pta art Museum / University of Jhb Art Gallery
  • 100 years of ‘Die Burger’ newspaper – Artscape and Die Burger Newspaper – Cape Town
  • Sculpture on the cliffs – Hermanus
  • 2nd lives – 2-person show with Diane victor – Rossouw Modern – Hermanus – as joint festival artists of FynArts Festival
  • The Games people play – Botanical gardens of University of the Northwest
  • Bronze Steel and Stone – Everard Read contemporary Gallery – Johannesburg
  • Inaugural exhibition – No end Gallery, Linden
  • Co-curated ‘Art in the time of democracy’ Beijing Biennale
2016
  • Finalist in PPC Imaginarium for Industrial Design UJ art Gallery
  • Crossing Borders – A group show for Doctors without Borders – Turbine Hall, Newtown, Jhb
  • Refiguration – Group exhibition – University of North West Art gallery – Potchefstroom
  • ‘Curiositas’ group show – AGOG Gallery- Maboneng Precinct, Jhb
  • UJ Seats of Knowledge exhibition and Auction – Kingsway Campus Library University of Johannesburg.
  • DSW Foundry travelling show of bronze sculpture, University of North West Art gallery, Oliewenhuis Gallery, Bloemfontein, Pretoria Art Museum
  • Curator/ Creator – Curated Group show by Lucia Boer, ABSA Gallery, Jhb
  • Nugget Square Group exhibition– SoMA Gallery, Maboneng, Jhb
  • Woordfees – Stellenbosch Group exhibition
  • Outdoor Sculpture exhibition – Robertson for Lizamore and Associates
  • COEXIST – George Bizos exhibition – Saheti School, Bedfordview, Jhb
  • GNAP International Nomad Nature Art event – Kaapshehoop, Mpumalanga
  • GNAP International Nomad Nature Art event – AVA Gallery Cape Town
  • Launch exhibition of Boutique gallery Franschoek Cape town
  • Launch exhibition at 13th Floor gallery, Jhb
  • Performing (wo)man – Curated by Derek Zietsman – UJ Art Gallery, Northwest University (Potchefstroom) and Oliewenhuis Art Gallery (Bloemfontein)
2017
  • ‘See Art’ – group exhibition curated by Derek Zietsman, Gallery2 – Jhb
  • Curated Mute Wisdom, Inaugural exhibition – Almenkerk Wine Estate and Sculpture Park, Elgin, Cape Town
  • Bibliophile….turning the pages – Absa Gallery, Jhb35 years: A Lizamore perspective – Lizamore and Associates, Jhb
  • Investec – E waste workshop and exhibition – Durban
  • Nirox Sculpture Park residency, cradle of humankind.
  • Cill Railig Artist’s residency, Ballingskellig, Ireland
  • Group Exhibition of SA artists, Ballingskellig, Ireland
  • ‘Words’ Sculpture Exhibition, Nirox Sculpture Park, Cradle of humankind
  • Curated Sculpture show for Boschendal Wine Estate, Franschoek
  • Turbine Art Fair
  • University of Jhb print portfolio for dignitaries
  • FAP Print Biennale, Gibbs Business School, Jhb
2018
  • Selected artist for Creation Wine Estate, Hemel en Aarde, Hermanus for FynArts festival
  • Solo Show Roussow Modern – Hermanus for FynArts festival
  • ‘Harmonia’ – solo mid-career exhibition, Standard Bank Gallery, Jhb and Cavalli Estate, Somerset West, Cape Town
  • ‘White Light’ – solo show at Fried Contemporary, Pta
  • Boutique Gallery inaugural show – Brussels, Belgium
  • Tame times – Absa Art auction for charity, Absa Gallery, Jhb
  • Paddock III International Postcard exhibition – Blue Room – Jhb
  • ‘Tacit’ Celebration of 20 years of Dionysis Sculpture Foundry – Oliewenhuis Museum as part of the Free State Arts Festival
  • HIV/AIDS exhibition, Oliewenhuis Museum as part of the Free State Arts Festival
  • Guerrilla Art – Mural at Javett Art Museum – Pretoria University.
  • Forward? Forward! Forward… Gallery of the University of Stellenbosch – in celebration of 100 years of the University of Stellenbosch.
  • Blue Door open studio – group printmaking show Richmond – Jhb
  • SculpX – Sculpture exhibition – Melrose gallery – Jhb
  • ‘A letter to my younger self’ … Charity Auction show curated by Banele Khoza – ABSA Gallery, Jhb
  • George Bizos 91st Birthday celebration Solo exhibition – Saheti School Senderwood – Jhb
2019
  • ‘White Light’ – solo show at No end Gallery Linden and Ellis House Troyeville
  • ‘Harmonia’ – solo mid-career exhibition – KKNK National arts festival – Oudtshoorn. (Nominated for a Kanna award for best show at the festival)
  • ‘Blow your sculpture’ – Glass exhibition – Pretoria Art Museum.
  • ‘Harmonia’ – solo mid-career exhibition – Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein and University of the Northwest Gallery – Potchefstroom
  • 21 years of curating the cube – group exhibition – University of Jhb Art Gallery.
  • ‘Samplings’ – Inaugural exhibition of the Jack Ginsberg Center for Book Arts – Wits Art Museum – Jhb
  • Collecting Contemporary – Lizamore and Associates – KKNK Oudtshoorn and Lizamore and Associates Gallery – Johannesburg
  • ‘Tribute’ – Group exhibition of artists as teachers, curated by Elfriede Dreyer – KKNK National festival – Oudtshoorn
  • Curated and showed on ‘Terugblik’ – Celebrating 25 years of the KKNK festival artists – Oudtshoorn
  • Curated Ampersand Foundation 21- year celebration show – University of Johannesburg Art Gallery
2020
  • The Lockdown collection in aid of the vulnerable artists’ fund – Johannesburg
  • UJ Pandemic project – University of Johannesburg online – Jhb
  • Apogee Boutique Hotel launch – Pta
  • Transhumanism – The Viewing Room Gallery – Pta
  • Turbine Art Fair – Online exhibition – ‘New World Order’ curated by Johan Thom
  • Fundraiser Auction for the Project Space – Aspire Auctioneers – Jhb
  • Fundraiser Auction for Carinus Art Center – Makhanda
  • Winter online show – Lizamore and Associates – Jhb
Awards, Commissions and Residencies:
1981 Matric Art Prize, Dawnview High School
1988 Merit Award for Sculpture – New signatures Competition
1995 Second Prize – Kempton Park Art Competition
1995 Merit Award – Volkskas Atelier Competition
1996 Third Prize – Kempton Park Art competition
1996 Merit Award – PPC Young Concrete sculptor Competition
2005 ABSA Achievers Gold medal for contribution to the arts and promotion of young artists
2006 Mobile Sculpture award for Dept of Science and Technology CSIR – Pretoria
2008 Baragwanath Taxi Rank commissioned mobile sculpture
2009 Maseru High Commission Mobile Sculpture
2009 Design Indaba – Selected as an Emerging Creative Designer for the Indaba
2009 Sculpture commission – Moses Mabilah Stadium – Durban
2010 Designed Aartvark trophy for innovation for Aardklop Art Festival – Potchefstroom
2011 Designed winners’ trophies for ABSAl’ Atelier
2012 Designed and made 2 life-sized Rhinos for Nedbank Golf challenge – Sun City
2013 Virus Mobile – Medical Military Unit – Pretoria
2013 Field Ambulance – Medical Military Unit – Pretoria
2014 KKNK Festival Artist
2014 Certificate of Excellence – Department of Arts and Culture
2014 Hermanus Art on the Cliff festival artist
2015 FynArts Festival artist Hermanus
2017 Nirox Sculpture Park residency, Cradle of Humankind.
2017 Cill Railig Artist’s residency, Ballingskellig, Ireland
Public Collections:
  • ABSA Bank Collection
  • Pretoria Art Museum
  • UNISA Art Gallery
  • Sandton Civic Gallery
  • Carfax Experience JHB
  • South African Association of Arts
  • Cite des Arts International – Paris
  • South African Broadcasting Corporation JHB
  • Alliance Francaise – Johannesburg
  • Department of Science and Technology CSIR Pretoria
  • Mocambique Museum of Art – Maputo.
  • Willow Ridge High School – Pta
  • Steel Company – Cape Town
  • SA High Commission – Maseru
  • Moses Mabila Stadium – Durban
  • Li – Bel Restaurant – Pretoria
  • La Pentola Restaurant – Pretoria
  • Moses Mabilah Stadium – Durban
  • Johannesburg Art Gallery – Johannesburg
  • South African Embassy – The Hague – Holland
  • Spier Art Collection – Stellenbosch
  • Standard Bank Collection
  • Propertuity Collection, Jhb
  • August House Collection, Jhb
  • University of Jhb Art Collection
  • Hollard Collection, Jhb
  • The Wilds sculpture Park – Jhb
  • Jack Ginsberg Center for Book Arts (JGCBA) Collection – Wits Art Museum – Jhb.

See my academic and professional profiles at: