Anna Cheyne facts for kids

Anna Cheyne HRUA (born April 9, 1926 – died September 10, 2002) was a talented British artist and sculptor. She worked with many different materials. These included fabric dyeing (batik), clay (ceramics), paper-mâché, stone, fiberglass, and bronze. Anna was born and grew up in England. After marrying architect Donald Cheyne, she moved to Northern Ireland.

Anna Cheyne's Journey as an Artist

Regeneration (1993), Bronze & fibreglass, Blackstaff Square, Belfast

Anna Cheyne was born Anne M Newbolt. She left school when she was thirteen years old. For two years, she worked on a farm. After that, she studied at Kingston School of Art. There, she earned a special diploma in Painting and Sculpture.

She continued her studies at the Slade School of Fine Art. She received another diploma in Painting and Sculpture from there. In 1950, Anna married Donald Cheyne, an architect from Belfast. The couple moved to Belfast in 1954.

Anna Cheyne started her own company. It supplied materials for pottery to other artists. In 1982, she sold her business. This allowed her to focus completely on her own art. She worked with many materials, including pottery and painting. However, she became most famous for her sculptures.

She created many public artworks. One of her first public pieces was a plaster design. It was for a ceiling in the Old Town Hall, Belfast, in 1982. Other important public artworks include:

• A bronze plaque for the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin (1994).
• A coat of arms for the Northern Ireland Fire Authority in Lisburn (1991).
• Regeneration for Blackstaff Square, Belfast (1993).
• My Lady of Chimney Corner for Antrim Borough Council (1998).

In 1996, the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society asked Anna to create a special sculpture. This was to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Balmoral Show. She made a six-foot bronze sculpture. It showed farming scenes from the past century.

Anna Cheyne had many solo art shows. These included:

• The Peacock Gallery in Craigavon (1984).
• The Rooksmoor Gallery in Bath (1988).
• The Cavehill Gallery in Belfast (1991).

In 1988, she joined a pottery workshop in Dublin. It was led by the famous artist Eduardo Paolozzi. Anna first showed her work with the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts in 1978. She displayed two ceramic sculptures there.

She became an Associate of the Royal Ulster Academy in 1990. In 1994, she was elected an Academician. This is a high honor. She was also a member of the Sculptors' Society of Ireland. She belonged to the Association of Artists of Ireland too.

In 1994, the Ulster Arts Club Gallery held a solo show of her paintings and sculptures. That same year, she had a two-person exhibition at the Cavehill Gallery, Belfast. She also won a prize at the Ulster Arts Club Small Works show.

In 1995, Anna Cheyne was one of thirteen artists chosen for The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland. Other artists included Alicia Boyle and George Russell. Her self-portrait was an experiment. She used batik to explore how it could be used for portraits.

Anna Cheyne was also involved in her community. She was a member of the South Antrim branch of the Alliance Party. She also helped start the Lisburn branch of Women Together. This was a peace group led by Saidie Patterson. The group worked to promote peace in Northern Ireland. They supported working-class women facing difficulties.

Her Legacy and Awards

Anna Cheyne passed away in September 2002. She died at Lisburn's Lagan Valley Hospital. She had three daughters and two sons.

After her death, Lisburn City Council held special art shows of her work. These were at the Island Arts Centre in 2003 and 2008. The Anna Cheyne Visual Art Award was created in 2003. It is named after her. This award is a competition for artists. The winning artworks are bought by the Lisburn City Art Collection. They are then displayed permanently.

You can see Anna Cheyne's art in many public places. These include the Northern Ireland Civil Service collection. Her work is also in The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland. And it is part of the Royal Ulster Academy Diploma Collection.