Mike Edwards the artist on sculpture and portraiture
Mike Edwards; born Port Elizabeth 1938.
Art studies: Port Elizabeth Art School gaining; the National Art Teachers Certificate, later a BA(FA) & MA(FA) from the University of Pretoria. He taught formally (1961-1990) in both Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
Much of his work has its roots in the harsh African landscape, a landscape carved by wind and rain with growth forms of visual splendour but often also menacing in their thorny struggle to survive, a landscape that reflects so strongly, the diversity, intolerance and precariousness of African life.
Sculptures reflecting this concern of his are to be found at the Civitas Building, State Theatre, Medical & Dental Council in Pretoria, Momentum Life in Centurion, the Edenvale Library and the Receiver of Revenue Bloemfontein, Brebner School in Bloemfontein, Pretoria Boys High School in Pretoria and the new soccer stadium in Polokwane.
He is also a keen portraitist with many examples in public and private collections.
His work is also to be found in the collections of the Universities of Pretoria, Potchestroom, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein as well as the Art Museums of Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Kimberly, Potchestroom, Polokwane and many private collections.
A major work of his in the portrait/narrative area is his WW1 bronze panel at the Delville Wood Museum in Longueval, France.
A comprehe nsive collection of his portraits made over the past fifty six years forms part of the University of Pretoria’s Art Collection.
He has exhibited since 1959 in group shows throughout South Africa as well as in America, the UK, Taiwan, Portugal and Germany and has held solo exhibitions in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Durban, (1970-2013)