Sonja Ferlov Mancoba

Sonja Ferlov Mancoba (1911–1984) was a Danish artist known for her pioneering biomorphic sculptures that bridged Surrealism and abstraction. Trained as a painter, she studied under Bizzie Høyer (1930–1932) and at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (1933–1935). She debuted at the Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling (Artists’ Autumn Salon) in 1935 with two plaster sculptures, Bird with Young and Two Living Beings. In the mid-1930s, Ferlov Mancoba joined the Danish art group and journal Linien (The Line), a key conduit of French Surrealism in Denmark. Influenced by artists such as Hans Arp and Kurt Schwitters, she created sculptural assemblages using branches and organic materials. By 1937, she relocated to Paris, where she interacted with Surrealist figures like Max Ernst and Alberto Giacometti and deepened her interest in non-Western art at the Musée de l’Homme. In Paris, she met South African artist Ernest Mancoba, whom she married in 1942. The couple had a son, Wonga Mancoba, who also became an artist. Following a brief return to Denmark during World War II, Ferlov Mancoba permanently settled in France in 1952. Her works during this period evolved to include geometric abstraction alongside her signature biomorphic forms. She exhibited widely, including with Linien II and Høst in Denmark, and became a member of Den Frie Udstilling (The Free Exhibition) in 1969. Her accolades include the Tagea Brandts Travel Grant (1971), Statens Kunstfond Award (1964), Thorvaldsen Medal (1971), and Niels Larsen-Stevns Medal (1977). Ferlov Mancoba’s works are recognized for their exploration of organic forms, non-Western influences, and a commitment to material innovation, positioning her as a vital figure in modern art. ...