The idea of family has undergone considerable change. In childhood, Clive van den Berg loved looking at Family Tree diagrams, but realised that, in addition to genetic families, there are also families that we choose, particularly if we are ‘misfits’.For van den Berg, a man who loves men, finding an echo of his desires is an important part of knowing that he exists within a community. This sculpture honours those who are family by choice, by identification.

Johannesburg based Clive van den Berg exhibits internationally. Exploring the body, eros, memory and land, much of his work focuses on the representation of suppressed histories, particularly those of men who love men. In tandem with his studio practice, van den Berg develops public projects as designer and curator, including permanent exhibitions at the Holocaust and Genocide Centre and The Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, and Freedom Park in Pretoria. He is the recipient of several awards including a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship and a Rockefeller Fellowship.

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