Errol Lloyd facts for kids

Errol Lloyd (born 1943) is a talented artist from Jamaica. He is a painter, sculptor, and writer. Since the 1960s, he has lived in London, England. He first went there to study law.

Errol Lloyd is well known for illustrating books. In 1973, he was a runner-up for the Kate Greenaway Medal. This award is for excellent children's book illustrations. He earned this for his work on My Brother Sean by Petronella Breinburg.

He also worked with the Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM) starting in 1966. Lloyd created book covers and greeting cards for black-owned publishing companies. These included New Beacon Books and Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications. He also worked with the Minorities' Arts Advisory Service (MAAS). He edited their magazine, Artrage, for a time. Errol Lloyd is recognized for his important early work in black art. He was one of the few artists in the 1960s who chose to create "Black images" in his art.

Art expert Eddie Chambers has praised Errol Lloyd's skill. He said Lloyd can capture people's looks in creative ways. Lloyd has made many portraits of important Black and Caribbean men. These include figures like C. L. R. James and Sir Garfield Sobers.

Life and Career Highlights

Errol Lloyd was born in Lucea, Jamaica. He went to school at Munro College in Saint Elizabeth Parish. There, he was a great athlete and an amazing football player. In 1963, when he was 20, he moved to Britain. He planned to study law and become a lawyer. But his interest in art grew stronger. He didn't finish his law studies until 1974. He never had formal art training. He taught himself and worked alone for a while. Then he joined the Caribbean Artists Movement. He met older artists like Ron Moody, who inspired him.

Creating Sculptures and Portraits

In 1967, Lloyd sculpted a bust (a sculpture of a head and shoulders) of C. L. R. James. After joining the Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM), he showed his art in their exhibition. While still a student, Lloyd started getting requests to make bronze busts. He has sculpted many important people. These include Jamaican Prime Minister Sir Alexander Bustamante and cricketer Sir Garfield Sobers. He also sculpted cultural figures like John La Rose.

Illustrating Books and Winning Awards

Errol Lloyd often created artwork for books. These were published by Bogle-L'Ouverture and New Beacon Books. His paintings also appeared on greeting cards. In 1969, he designed the cover for Walter Rodney's The Groundings with my Brothers. This was Bogle-L'Ouverture's first book. He also designed the cover for Bernard Coard's How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Sub-Normal in the British School System in 1971. Lloyd also worked for big publishers like Random House and Penguin Books.

His success as an illustrator began with My Brother Sean (1973). This children's book was special. It was the first picture book from a major UK publisher to feature black children. For this book, he was highly praised for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Later in his career, his 1995 novel for teenagers, Many Rivers to Cross, won an award. It was also nominated for a Carnegie Medal.

Promoting Black Arts and Culture

Besides making his own art, Lloyd has always cared about helping Black visual arts in Britain. He has supported and celebrated other artists. These include famous names like Ronald Moody and Aubrey Williams. Lloyd was an artist-in-residence at the Keskidee Centre. He also worked with the Minorities' Arts Advisory Service (MAAS). This group aimed to promote different cultures. He edited their journal Artrage for about 15 years. He was also part of the Rainbow Art Group, which held several art shows.

Lloyd used to teach Advanced Painting at the Camden Arts Centre. He also served on the Visual Arts Panel for Arts Council England. He is also known as a musician, playwright, and storyteller. His photograph is in the National Portrait Gallery, London. He also appears in a film about John La Rose, called Dream to Change the World. In 2012, Lloyd gave a speech about "Arts and Activism" at a conference. In 2016, he was honored by his old school, Munro College.

Personal Life

In 1977, Errol Lloyd married actress Joan Ann Maynard.

Art Exhibitions and Shows

Errol Lloyd has shown his art in many important exhibitions in the UK. In 1997, his work was part of Transforming the Crown. This big historical exhibition was held in three New York City museums. It showed art from the Caribbean Artists Movement.

More recently, his art was in the exhibition No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990. This show was at the Guildhall Art Gallery in London. As part of this, he talked about the impact of Black artists in the 20th century. In 2022, a special exhibition called Errol Lloyd. A Life In Colour celebrated his career. It was held at 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning.

Selected Exhibitions

• Caribbean Artists in England. Commonwealth Institute, London, 1971.
• Afro-Caribbean Art. Artists Market, London, 1978.
• Errol Lloyd (solo exhibition of paintings), Kingston, Jamaica, 1978.
• Creation for Liberation: 2nd Open Exhibition By Black Artists. Brixton Art Gallery, London, 1984.
• Creation for Liberation. Third Annual Creation for Liberation Open Exhibition: Art by Black Artists. GLC Brixton Recreation Centre, London, 1985.
• Caribbean Expressions in Britain. Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester, UK, 1986.
• Black Art: Plotting the Course. Touring exhibition, 1988.
• Caribbean Connection. Islington Arts Factory, London, 1995.
• Caribbean Connection 2: Island Pulse. Islington Arts Factory, London, 1996.
• Transforming the Crown: African, Asian & Caribbean Artists in Britain, 1966–1996. New York City, 1997.
• No Colour Bar: Black British Art in Action 1960–1990. Guildhall Art Gallery, City of London, 2015–2016.
• Errol Lloyd. A Life In Colour. 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning, London, 2022–2023.