Villa at 90

Villa at 90: His Life, Work and Influence edited by Edoardo Villa (with editors Karel Nel, Elizabeth Burroughs & Amalie von Maltitz) (2005, Jonathan Ball / Shelf Publishing) is a definitive retrospective celebrating the long and impactful career of one of South Africa’s most influential sculptors. Spanning six decades of artistic evolution, the book documents Villa’s unique journey from his early European roots to his mature phase where African cultural influences and modernist sensibilities merged in striking steel and bronze sculptures.

Inside Villa at 90, readers will find richly illustrated plates — in full colour and black-and-white — presenting major works alongside essays that contextualise Villa’s oeuvre within both South African and international modern art. The essays, contributed by leading art historians and critics, explore how Villa developed a distinct sculptural language that fused abstraction, African heritage, and a bold formal sensibility.

More than just an art catalogue, this volume functions as both a scholarly resource and a collector’s treasure. It honours Villa’s creative vision and offers a deep, nuanced understanding of how his work responded to cultural, social and artistic currents of his time. Hardcover, 226 pages, large-format, it remains a highly collectible and valuable addition to any second-hand bookshop’s art-book section, especially for collectors of African modern art or sculptural history.