Nils (Severin) Andersen – South African Artist, Paintings 1897 - 1972
Nils Andersen was born in Drammen, Norway
Art Education
- 1924 – 1928 Studied Art at Natal Tech Art School, Durban, under OJP Oxley and Alfred R Martin.
- 1938 Nils Andersen Studied Ceramics at Natal Tech Art School.
Short Artist Biography
- Childhood spent at sea with his father, a Norwegian Master Mariner
- 1911 Nils Andersen was brought to South Africa
- 1912 Nils Andersen settled in Durban; trained as engineer; drew and painted from an early age
- 1924 Joined NSA (President 1937, 1946, 1949 and 1955); began formal art studies
- 1933 Nils Andersen commenced fulltime career as an artist; carried out works in various painting and graphic media, initially favouring watercolour especially.
- 1942 – 1944 Taught art and ceramics at Durban Tech; war-artist for Natal Command and RN
- 1962 Nils Andersen took ill and painted very little thereafter. Lived in Durban from 1912, but traveled widely across Southern Africa; camped out on several trips to Namibia with Mr. E Schweikerdt of Pretoria. Several of his works have been reproduced locally by E Schweikerdt (Pty) Ltd; and one from the collection of King Haakon VII of Norway was reproduced in that country.
Art Exhibitions
- 1982 Nils Andersen first at exhibition (two-man, with Joy Krause) at Durban Art Gallery whiles still a student. Frequent one-man exhibitions thereafter all over South Africa; exhibited annually in Pretoria from 1943 – 1962
- 1941 South African War Art Exhibition
- 1966 Republic Fest Exhibition, Pretoria
Commissions
- Dioramas at Durban Museum; 14 murals at Norwegian Hall, Durban; two murals at Natal Chamber of Commence, Durban; one mural in boardroom of ‘Natal Mercury’, Durban.
Public Art collections
- South Africa National Art Gallery, Cape Town; AC White Art Gallery, Bloemfontein; Ann Bryant Art Gallery, East London; King George VI Art Gallery, Port Elizabeth; Durban Art Gallery; South African National War Museum, Johannesburg.
Source
Berman, E. 1994. Art & Artists of South Africa . Southern Book Publishers.
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