Peter DAVIS
b. 1932
sculptures in wood and bronze, jewellery, drawings
Peter DAVIS in 1968
Brief C.V.
Born 11th January, 1932 in Imphal (Manipur) east of Calcutta to a military family, studied at Haileybury College, Hertford UK, moved in 1949 to Kenya, joined Kenyan Police Reserve, fought in the Mau Mau campaign, was seconded to the Colonial Service as Land Ranger, serving four years; he then spent 2 years as a big game hunter before going see a friend in South Africa, staying for 14 years.
In 1960, Peter Davis started as a carpenter, becoming joiner cabinet maker, furniture maker, furniture and interior designer. In 1961, Berrell Jensen, then in Durban, recommended to Peter Davis that he should be a sculptor, not waste his time with furniture.
In 1970, Peter Davis moved to Johannesburg, establishing a design business making products and interiors.
In 1972, he returned to England permanently, settling in Canterbury, U.K.
Peter Davis in 2010 holding "Standing woman with plait" in mahogany - please click on image for better view!
Selected Solo and Group Shows in South Africa
1962 New Directions, Johannesburg (jointly with Berrell Jensen)
1964 Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg (November)
1965 Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg (November)
1968 Lidchi Gallery, Johannesburg (12th June) (invitation card)
1969 Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg (November)
1970 Gallery 101, Johannesburg (16th March) (sculptures and drawings) (5th solo show)
Invitation card front cover - Gallery 101 Johannesburg 1970
Selected Sculptures
"Assyrian Wolf", 1965 - wood sculpture - 25x21 cm - a bronze cast (ed. 7) was exhibited at 15th Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg, 1969 - Coll. Louis le Sueur
Click on this link to view 4 other sculptures shown through Core Gallery, London, in 2010
Selected Sculptures (11) shown at Gallery 101, Johannesburg in 1970 (PDF)
Selected Publications and Reviews
1964 Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg (November), cat. 62 + 63
1965 Transvaal Academy, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg (November), cat. 68, 69, 70
ARTLOOK 18, Johannesburg, 1968 (Vol. 2, No. 6, pp. 2/4, ill.) (May)
1969 Transvaal Academy of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Johannesburg (March), cat. 90 + 91
ARTLOOK 40, Johannesburg, 1970 (March) (pp. 34/35, ill.)
click on image for details!
"Bibliografie Suid-Afrikaanse Kunstenaars" BSAK, (University of Pretoria) (Nilant & Schoonraad), 1976, Vol. 1
"Art & Artists of South Africa" (Balkema) (Berman), 1983, listed p. 525
The Dictionary of South African Painters and Sculptors (Everard Read) (Ogilvie), 1988, p. 157
South African Digest, Pretoria - 21st June, 1968 - ill. review
Unnamed undated Afrikaans newspaper, Johannesburg - review by Dirk Meerkotter listing various works
Web References
http://coregalleryinterviews.blogspot.ch
Skotnes Family Archive
Updated 6th April, 2016