Dionysus Sculpture Works

The creative studio and foundry Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW) was established by South African sculptor Angus Taylor in 1996. This creative space is constantly expanding, striving towards excellence and offering a notable contribution to the South African art scape.

DSW has completed a vast number of sculptures and installations in public spaces across South Africa and abroad. The foundry often utilises traditional media in combination with other materials such as granite, concrete and marble. Angus Taylor’s Dionysus, a monumental scale figure carved in granite, measuring 4.2m in height and 6.2m in width, was built at Tokara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch in 2017. This sculpture was awarded the Helgaard Steyn Award for Taylor’s notable contribution to South African sculpture.

Other sculpture projects for private as well as public institutions include, A homage to the foundation on which everything is built (2016), comprising of granite, steel and concrete, situated in the Pretoria CBD. DSW was also instrumental in the development, manufacturing and installation of contemporary works at Ellerman House Wine Gallery (2013) in Cape Town, the Irene Village Mall, the Apple Mac Head Quarters in Johannesburg, Newcastle Mall in KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Pretoria Main Campus (2010) and OBZ Square on Main in Cape Town. DSW has installed public sculptures in Canada, Belgium the United Kingdom and Netherlands. Monumental public sculptures for government organisations and municipal councils include, amongst others, the Chief Tshwane monument at the Pretoria City Hall, (2006) and the Brenda Fassie statue in the Newtown Precinct of Johannesburg (2006). Furthermore the studio and foundry specialises in the restoration and maintenance of bronze sculptures, and was actively involved in the casting and finishing of Anton van Wouw’s incomplete and uncast plaster masters for the University of Pretoria and the Van Wouw Museum.

DSW offers the opportunity to embrace new development in diverse technology combined with traditional sculptural media. The studio collaborates with contemporary South African artists in upscaling, 3-D scanning and printing, bronze and stainless steel casting, finishing and installation of artworks, and has worked with artists Andries Botha, Deborah Bell, Joni Brenner, Norman Catherine, Rina Stutzer, Sam Nhlengethwa and Angus Taylor, amongst others.

Members of DSW are encouraged to pursue their own artistic careers through making use of the foundry and studio facilities, as well as participating in the DSW group-exhibitions such as the Tacit group travelling exhibition which was showcased at the NWU Gallery in Potchefstroom, the William Humphreys Art Gallery in Kimberley, the Pretoria Art Museum and Oliewenhuis National Museum in Bloemfontein.

Dionysus Sculpture Works is Situated in Samcor Industrial Park.