Andrew Verster
Andrew Verster (1937-2020) was a painter, scenic designer, a writer of short stories, articles and radio plays.
Contents
Biography
Born in Johannesburg on 15 June, 1937.
He trained as an artist at the Camberwell School of Art and Reading University. He became a lecturer at the University of Durban Westville (then University College, Durban) and the Natal Technikon until 1976, when he gave up teaching to become a full-time painter.
Collaborated with the architect Hans Hallen on Mangosuthu Technikon and the Brenthurst Library.
He passed away on 16 February, 2020.
Career
He has had over fifty solo exhibitions, is represented in many major public and private collections, and has been awarded two retrospective exhibitions organized by the Durban Art Gallery. Numerous public and private commissions, including sculpture and tapestry for the Reserve Bank Durban, art works Durban Hilton, tapestries and a mural, ABSA Headquarters, Johannesburg and a tapestry in the ICC Durban. Three tapestries for RHODES HOUSE in Oxford. Stainless steel screens for Metro Mall, Johannesburg. Commissions for the Constitutional Court including the entrance doors, carpets for the chamber and foyer, metal gates and chandeliers.
He was a member of the Film and Publication Review Board, Trustee of the Durban Art Gallery, the Arts Work Trust, Very Special Arts, Artists for Human Rights Trust and the African Art Centre. Committee of the Grahamstown Festival.
As a writer and critic he wrote articles for Style Magazine, mostly on his visits to India, and in Leadership and various architectural journals.
Was critic on the Daily News for twelve years and had a weekly column, From the Backwater for four years.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
In addition of his work as teacher and artist, he was also a theatre set and costume designer, inter alia for Opera Africa’s Faust, Princess Magogo, and La Traviata and Rigoletto, designs for the American production of Princess Magogo (2004) and costumes for The Coolie Odyssey and for Threnody and Dances (a chamber opera, Women’s Festival in August 2002), costumes for Private Lives for the Hilton Festival, the adult pantomime Sinderella, and the Barnyard Theatre productions of The Rock Horror Show (2004), Grease (2006).
Writer of short stories, articles and radio plays (winner of the BBC World Service Playwriting Competition in 1992), You may leave, the show is over. The second was commissioned by the BBC, Future Past, featuring the voices of three former South African actresses, Janet Suzman, Rowena Copper and Estelle Kohler. Another, When in Rome, Don’t drink the water was shortlisted. Short story was broadcast by the BBC, AILEEN, MARJORIE, ARTHUR AND ME.
Awards, etc
Best costume design in the FOOLS AWARDS 2003 and best costume design in the DURBAN THEATRE AWARDS 2004. FOOLS AWARDS 2005 6 7 best visual artist.
Sources
Go to ESAT Bibliography
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