Gary Frier

Born in 1972, Gary Frier grew up in Kuilsriver, a northern suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. After earning his graphic design qualification from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1994, Frier initially honed his skills in various design industries. However, his drive to create more personal, impactful work ultimately led him to pursue a career as a full-time visual artist.

In addition to his artistic practice, he also taught visual art and pottery at the Zonnebloem Children’s Art Centre and Observatory Neighbourhood After School Programme, empowering young artists to explore their innate creativity for self-understanding and healing. Currently, he facilitates creative programmes in visual art and pottery at the Occupational Therapy department at Valkenburg Psychiatric Hospital.

Primarily centered on painting and portraiture, Frier’s work is characterised by a strong graphic quality that translates seamlessly into printmaking. His participation in the 2024 ASAI printmaking workshop expanded his knowledge of lithography, a technical printmaking process he first gained experience in during an artist’s residency at the Fordsburg Artists Studios (now The Bag Factory) in Johannesburg in the 1990s. There, he created a single-colour lithograph portrait of the late David Koloane (1938–2019), a pioneering South African artist, activist, and advocate for Black artists during apartheid. Affectionately titled David (1998), Frier’s character study beautifully captures Koloane’s commanding presence and the finely etched lines of his distinctive features — a testament to Frier’s keen eye for character.