Edna Mann

Edna Mann (1926, London, England – 1985) was a British painter and co-founder of the Borough Group of artists.^[1]

Mann was educated at Romford County High School for Girls and then studied art at the South-East Essex Technical College and School of Art. Here in 1942, she met the artists David Bomberg (1890–1957), who was teaching there, and Dorothy Mead.^[2] She and won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in 1945, but left after a year because of opposition to Bomberg's ideas there.^[1]

Edna Mann and Dorothy Mead followed Bomberg to the City Literary Institute, where they met Cliff Holden,^[2] and then the Borough Polytechnic (now London South Bank University) from 1946. She was a founder member of the Borough Group^[3] of artists influenced by Bomberg at Borough Polytechnic, together with Cliff Holden (the first president),^[4] Dorothy Mead and Peter Richmond. She exhibited with the group until she became pregnant, when Bomberg asked her to resign. He believed that it was impossible be a serious artist while raising young children.^[1]

Mann was part of the Harlow Arts Festival and also held her first solo exhibition at the Drian Gallery in 1965.^[1]

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