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Born in Newhaven in 1963, Cliff Wright is a Sussex-based author, illustrator, painter, sculptor and teacher, particularly well known for his work on illustrations for two of J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter books. He specialises in illustrations of animals and children's books which have included Wind in the Willows.
Following his graduation with a BA(Hons) Fashion and Weave in 1990, Mark Eley formed a highly successful creative partnership with Wakako Kishimoto to become the high fashion brand Eley Kishimoto.
"I came to study in Brighton... in order to find the furthest college from my home at which to study art. This method paid off, because I found a truly exceptional and open educational system that has stood me in good stead throughout my art career."
A graduate of the old Brighton Grammar School and Brighton School of Art, Conrad Heighton Leigh went onto the Slade School of Art in London and the Academie Julian before making a career in painting, murals and poster design as well as book illustration. He lived and worked in Brighton in the early twentieth century.
Living in the crafts hothouse of Ditchling in the 1930s Dunstan Pruden was much influenced by the Eric Gill and the Guild of St Dominic, under whose auspices (with Philip Hargreen) he published Silversmithing: its principles and practice in small workshops.
“In 1955 Alfred retired from the Admiralty to live in Brighton and work at the College of Art as lecturer and adviser. Until 1966 his tall figure, stooping a little from years of calligraphy, could be seen on special days moving punctually and deliberately up the hill to the Teacher Training Department."
Keith Coventry studied Fine Art in Brighton from 1978 to 1981 before moving to do his MA at Chelsea School of Art. A painter, sculptor and curator, his fame as an artist began to spread with support from Charles Saatchi, who featured him in the Sensation exhibition in 1997.
Going onto a career in film at UCLA, Sandra Lawton attended the Brighton College of Art's programme for gifted children between 1958 and 1965. 'The old Grand Parade building was inspiringly atmospheric with the projects, colorful students, interesting faculty and the smell of the paint and materials...'
Having a long association with Brighton, distinguished artist and illustrator John Vernon Lord was appointed Professor of Illustration in 1986, then Professor Emeritus. His picture book "The Giant Jam Sandwich" (1972) has become a classic while his illustrated edition of The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear (1984) won two national awards.
T.Hicks@brighton.ac.uk
Toni Hicks is a freeman of the City of London and a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters. She has collaborated with several fashion designers and developed industrial links and is a major figure in the development of knitted textile education in Britain.
Gwyther Irwin was an artist of great originality and invention who became head of fine art at Brighton College of Art in 1969, where he remained until 1984.
Julien Macdonald studied fashion knit wear at The University of Brighton, which lead to him receiving a scholarship for the Royal Collage of Art. His creative vision has inspired international acclaim for injecting a high dosage of glamour back into the fashion industry.
The dominant British silversmith in the second half of the twentieth century, Gerald Benney was born in 1930 in Hull. His early years were spent in Brighton, studying at the Art College (1946-48) where his father, the painter E A Sallis Benney, was Principal. Gerald was taught silversmithing by Dunstan Pruden,
A well-known poster designer, illustrator and muralist, (Alfred) Clive Gardiner was trained at the Slade School of Fine Art (1909-12) and the Royal Academy Schools (1913-14). Following the First World War he trained as an art teacher before teaching at Brighton School of Art.
Louise Giblin was born in 1963 and lives and works on the East Sussex/Kent border. She graduated with a Fine Art Sculpture BA(Hons), also studying MA History and Theory of Modern Art at Chelsea College of Art. Her tutors at Brighton included the acclaimed sculptor Antony Gormley.
Richard Slee’s work is intrinsically concerned with the domestic interior. There are references to the decorative, the ornamental and the symbolic, both from the past and our contemporary culture. He has established an international reputation as an artist and designer.
Karen Norquay led the University of Brighton's provision of arts as Head of School for many years. She is a practising photographer both in the fields of research and editorial photography. Her editorial work explores the still life genre from conforming to the traditional aesthetic conventions to challenging its language and form.
Frederick Charles Herrick was a leading graphic artist following the First World War, having trained at Leicester School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London. He taught at Brighton for many decades.
Justin Todd was tutor in illustration at Brighton College of Art in the 1960s. His work has included historical and book illustration.
Alan Davie was a painter, poet, jazz musician and jewellery designer.
London’s Tate Gallery described his canvases for an exhibition at Tate Modern as “the result of an improvisatory process that the artist relates to his love of jazz”.
"1963. I am 31, a London County Council architect commuting to Brighton to teach one day a week in the School of Architecture first year, up in the attic studios of the old College of Art, Grand Parade. "The air is heady, the floors paint covered. We are indeed all collegiate, students, technicians and tutors together, painters, illustrators, sculptors, architects, bound by a striving for Design."
