Dominic van der Merwe
I came to sculpture through industrial design, where form served a purpose. Sculpture gave me the freedom to pursue form for its own sake.
I’ve always been drawn to form that feels inevitable. Shapes that seem discovered rather than invented. Work that holds tension, stillness, and presence in the same gesture.
Much of my sculptural language was developed through direct carving in limestone. More than anything, it gave me the freedom to explore. To make quickly, follow instinct, and pursue form without the constraints of function or brief. That period of experimentation shaped the visual language I now translate across materials and scales.
I work closely with private collectors, architects and designers because context shapes the work as much as the sculpture itself. Every commission is a collaboration between form, material, architecture and place. A sculpture should not simply occupy space. It should alter how the space feels.
@domvdm_formd
Representation
Dominic’s work is represented internationally by Wentworth Galleries in (Sydney) and Luka Art Gallery in (Sintra, Portugal)