​Contemporary South African Art

WILES, Lucy Mary (née Townsend)
Born:  1920 Johannesburg.

A painter and a graphic artist of landscapes, figures, portraits and still life. Works in oil, watercolour and in various graphic media.

Studies: Briefly at the Natal Technical College, under Professor Cecil Todd (qv).

Profile: A founder member of the Queenstown Art Society. Illustrated Winifred Tapson’s book Old Timer and Brigadier Day’s Brigadier Day’s Brigadier to Barman. Paints and glazes tiles, and makes Xhosa  figures friezes, prints and Christmas cards. 1946-54 lived in the Transkei, thereafter known as Knysna, Cape Province. Since 1972 she has travelled to Madagascar, Mauritius, Thailand, Hong Kong, Italy, Greece, Israel, the UK, Germany and India. Married to Brian Wiles (qv). Her earlier works are signed Lucy Mullins.

Exhibitions:    She has participated in numerous group exhibitions from 1959 in SA and once in London; 1959 Pieter Wenning Gallery, Johannesburg, Wiles Group Exhibition; 1961 Pieter Wenning Gallery, Johannesburg, first of two solo  exhibitions held there; she has also numerous solo exhibitions at The Gallery, Leisure Isle, Knysna.

Represented: Queenstown Municipal Collections; William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberly.

References: SA Panorama October 1959.