Ed Chapman (artist)
| Ed Chapman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1971 (age 44–45) |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Ceramics King, Mosaic Maestro, The Mosaic Man |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Years active | Since 1995[1] |
| Known for | Mosaics |
| Notable work | Hendrix in plectrums |
| Style | Photorealistic |
| Parent(s) | Margaret Chapman |
| Website |
edchapman-mosaics |
Ed Chapman (born 1971), in Darwen, Lancashire is considered one of the world's best mosaic artists. An award-winning British artist known for his mosaics, along with Vik Muniz, Robert Silvers and others, Chapman is regarded as having 'reimagined' the mosaic medium. He is known for expanding the possibilities of the medium incorporating numerous materials in his works often never used before. Though claiming to be self-taught and never having receiving any instruction he has also said both his parents were 'tough art disciplinarians, my father in sculpture and mother in painting and I suppose I've mixed them up in my work'. He is the son of artist Margaret Chapman who was from the Northern School along with L.S. Lowry.[1]
Chapman became a professional artist in the 1990s.[1] His artistic influences include Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jamie Reid.[1] His work has sold in more than 25 countries,[2] and has been exhibited in galleries in the UK and around the world.
He has created several 'firsts' in mosaic, including Jimi Hendrix from Fender guitar picks, tennis star Andy Murray on carpet made from household items like tomato sauce and lipstick, Albert Einstein in metal, a chewing gum mosaic, a bullets mosaic and several others. Among his mosaics are portraits of David Bowie, Nelson Mandela, David Beckham in penny coins, Alan Sugar (done in sugar cubes)[3] and Eric Cantona.[4] Annie Lennox, Lemmy the founding member of Motörhead and chef Gordon Ramsay are among the clients who have commissioned a work by him.[1] His portrait of Richard Burton incorporating 500 million-year-old Welsh slate was commissioned by the actor's widow Sally Burton in 2015 to mark 90 years since the actor's birth.
In addition to celebrity buyers, Chapman's mosaics have been bought by royalty, politicians and sports stars. In February 2011, Chapman's mosaic of Jimi Hendrix, made of 5000 Fender guitar picks was auctioned for £23,000/$35000, one of the highest prices ever paid for a mosaic piece of art - with proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Plucky Darwen artist's amazing Jimi Hendrix portrait". Who is Ed Chapman?. Lancashire Telegraph. 24 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ↑ "Biography...". Official website. Weebly. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ↑ "Day in pictures". BBC News. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ↑ "Cantona mosaic taken from gallery". BBC News. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
- ↑ "Hendrix Mosaic Fetches £23,000 for Cancer Research UK". Fender. February 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
The Palette Pages Interview with Ed Chapman