AITY GALLERY

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY & STATEMENT

Jo Roets (b. 1979)

Artist Biography

Jo Roets, born in 1979 and based in Cape Town, South Africa, is a renowned sculptor and painter specializing in clay relief work. Initially trained in the film industry, she developed her expertise in special effects, painting, and sculpting, later transitioning to academia where she lectured for 14 years in multimedia arts. In 2017, she left academia to pursue a full-time art career. Roets’ distinctive “light relief sculptures” are crafted from air-drying clay, manipulated into intricate, delicate forms, often pushed to their structural limits. Her works have been exhibited in numerous prominent South African galleries, including SMAC, Rust & Vrede, and StateoftheART, among others. Jo won the prestigious StateoftheART Gallery Award in 2018 and has exhibited internationally. Since partnering with AITY Gallery, Jo has participated in two group exhibitions, showcasing her innovative clay sculptures alongside other contemporary artists. She has also represented her work at notable international art fairs, including AAF Battersea Autumn in 2023 and 2024.

Artist Statement

“My sculptures capture the fragility and resilience of life. I work with air-drying clay, a medium that is at once delicate and unyielding, exploring its limits as I sculpt fine relief forms that warp and evolve during the drying process. The unexpected shifts in the material reflect my interest in nature’s inherent unpredictability, challenging perceptions of control and structure.”

About Her Work

Jo Roets’ clay relief sculptures are distinguished by their intricate, paper-thin forms, carved using unconventional tools such as toothpicks and needles. Her process is both meticulous and experimental, with each piece shaped by the warping and cracking that naturally occurs as the clay dries. Jo’s work often conveys themes of fragility, movement, and organic growth, capturing the beauty in imperfection. Her recent solo exhibitions include “MURG” (2022) at Rust-en￾Vrede Gallery, showcasing her large-scale clay pieces. Roets has been a finalist in numerous prestigious art awards, including the Sasol New Signatures and the Tollman Bouchard Finlayson Art Award.

AITY GALLERY 

– www.aitygallery.com