Dora Chapman facts for kids

Dora Cecil Chapman (born March 24, 1911 – died May 15, 1995), also known as Dora Cant, was a talented Australian artist. She was known for her paintings, silk-screen prints, and pottery. She was also an art teacher. Dora lived in different parts of Australia, like South Australia and New South Wales, and also spent time in England. She believed art could help change society.

Her Life and Art

Dora Chapman was born in Mount Barker, South Australia on March 24, 1911. She was very good at art from a young age. She won a special scholarship to study at the South Australian School of Arts and Crafts from 1928 to 1932. Later, between 1936 and 1941, she learned from many famous artists like Marie Tuck, Dorrit Black, and Ivor Hele. She also joined a group called the United Arts Club, where students could practice drawing people.

Early Exhibitions and Awards

Dora started showing her artwork in public in 1935. Her still life paintings (pictures of objects like fruit or flowers) were very popular. Besides paintings, she also showed her hand-weaving and some well-made pottery, which proved she had many artistic skills.

From 1935, she exhibited with the Royal South Australian Society of Arts (RSASA). She became a member while she was still a student. In 1940, Dora won the RSASA's Alex Melrose Prize for a "hard but striking self-portrait." This award was meant to encourage artists to paint people. The next year, in 1941, she won the RSASA Portrait Prize.

War Service and New Beginnings

In 1942, Dora joined the army. She became a Sergeant and taught educational subjects until 1945. She also helped create a library of fine art prints and organized an art exhibition for army members.

After the war, Dora and another artist named James Cant started a group called the Studio of Realist Art (SORA) in Sydney. Dora became the secretary, taught drawing classes, and set up a library there. She also helped organize and take part in SORA art shows. During this time, she mostly painted landscapes that were a bit abstract, still-lifes, and some portraits. She and James Cant got married in 1945.

Life in London and Return to Australia

In 1950, Dora and James moved to London and stayed there for five years. They also visited France and Italy. They came back to Sydney, but a year later, they moved permanently to Adelaide.

Dora taught at the SA School of Art from 1958 to 1969. Even after she officially retired, she still taught sometimes. During these years, she also worked as an art critic for the Adelaide Advertiser, writing about art shows. In 1961, she won the Melrose Prize again, this time for portraiture.

Focus on Silk-Screen Printing

Around 1969, Dora became very interested in showing different human characteristics in her art, rather than just painting specific people. She created a series of silk-screen prints (a type of printing where ink is pushed through a screen). These prints were stylized female portrait heads, and some were named after Australian native plants. After she retired, she continued to make serigraphs, which is another name for silk-screen prints. Examples include The Girl With A Long Nose (1970) and Katinka (1973). Silk-screen printing became a very important part of her art.

Dora Chapman passed away in Adelaide on May 15, 1995.

Political Interests

Dora was a member of the Australian Communist Party in 1945. This meant she was interested in political ideas that aimed to create a society where everyone was equal and shared resources.

Awards She Won

• John Creswell Scholarship, South Australian School of Arts and Craft, 1935
• Alex Melrose Prize for figurative painting, RSASA, 1940
• John Christie Wright Prize, awarded three times early in her career
• Royal South Australian Portrait Prize, 1941
• Melrose Prize for Portraiture, 1961