Fenwick Lawson

Fenwick Lawson

Statue of St Cuthbert by Fenwick Lawson, Lindisfarne Priory
Born Fenwick Justin John Lawson
19 May 1932
South Moor, County Durham
Nationality English
Education Sunderland College of Art (1951-54) and Royal College of Art, London (1954-57)
Known for Sculpture

Fenwick Justin John Lawson, ARCA (born 19 May 1932 in South Moor, County Durham), commonly known as Fenwick Lawson, is an English sculptor based in the north-east of England.

Life

Fenwick Lawson was born in 1932 in South Moor, Co. Durham and spent his childhood in the neighbouring village of Craghead. He studied at the Sunderland College of Art (1951–54) and Royal College of Art, London (1954–57), under John Skeaping and under the influence of Jacob Epstein (then in the college working on the Llandaff Christ). In 1958 and 1959, having been awarded the Sir James Knott Travelling Scholarship, he completed his studies by travel in France, Italy and Greece, being influenced by the sculptural masters such as Michelangelo and Donatello and by the simplicity of form in Cycladic art.

In 1961, he was appointed Lecturer in Sculpture at Newcastle-upon-Tyne College of Art and when this merged into Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic 9 years later (1970). He became a Principal Lecturer and Head of Sculpture before retiring from teaching in 1984.

He has been a member of various bodies, such as the Art and Architects Department of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales (1972–77), the Fabrics Advisory Committee of St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle-upon Tyne (1991–94), and the Advisory Committee for Historic Churches in the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle (1995–2000). He was also visiting Lecturer at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, Scotland (1987) and at the Royal Academy in London (1987–89). He has been an Honorary Member of the Northumbria Branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1986, and was a trustee of Durham City Trust from 1979 to 1995.

'The Journey', public sculpture in Durham City by Lawson.

Lawson has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Durham University (2008). Durham City's new public sculpture, by Lawson is 'The Journey'. It was unveiled by The Princess Royal on 26 September 2008. Lawson was granted the Freeman of the City of Durham on 10 November 2008.

Some of Fenwick's work

Name, date, and current location.

External links