John D Edwards, a painter and sculptor who exhibited widely and inspired community arts projects, has died from heart disease aged 74. His work, which included a one-man show at Odette Gilbert Gallery and exhibitions in London, New York, Chicago and Tokyo, was profoundly shaped by his experience with cancer, leading to his inspirational book How Cancer Saved My Life (2007).
Early Life and Career
Born in Hillingdon, John was the son of Edward (Ted) Edwards, a physicist and director at GEC, and Joan (nee Bird), who worked in the firm’s library. He was educated at Abbotsfield school for boys and graduated from Central School of Arts (1971-74) after foundation studies at Harrow School of Art. In 1975 he began working with artists and galleries in London, most notably the Waddington gallery, where he worked with Jim Dine, John Hoyland, Patrick Caulfield and Howard Hodgkin.
John became an established figure in the artistic community with his initial one-man show at Odette Gilbert Gallery. His early success was severely impacted when, in 1996, he began treatment for cancer. Despite the difficulties arising from the therapy, he continued to work, producing paintings that he later described as a fundamental part of his healing and physical and mental recovery.
Cancer and Community Projects
These paintings illustrate his book How Cancer Saved My Life (2007). John was invited by hospitals and cancer charities throughout the UK to talk about the book and externalising the experience in his studio. In the foreword, his friend Sir Peter Blake described John’s work as “courageous paintings … full of humour and wit”.
In 1991 John married Susie Fairgrieve, whom he met when they both worked at Waddington, and they established a home in Gloucestershire. They divorced a year later. John returned to his studio above the AB Fine Art Foundry in Poplar, east London, where he also assisted with the casting of Barry Flanagan’s enormous hare sculptures.
Legacy and Later Life
On medical advice, in 2008 John relocated to a studio that his sister Marion owned in Ipswich. There he began a number of projects including the The Never Ending Mural, an initiative that brought people from business, arts groups, playgroups and schools together to create a community-owned mural to enhance the revitalisation of Ipswich Wet Dock and promote and encourage wider involvement in the arts.
In March 2020 John was invited to document his life and work for Artists’ Lives at the British Library, an initiative run by National Life Stories in association with Tate Archive and the Henry Moore Institute. John is survived by his four sisters, Su, Gillie, Jude and my partner Marion.
