About Ed Chapman
MOSAICS BY ED CHAPMAN
Ed Chapman is one of the UK’s top mosaic artists. He has created mosaics in many different media, ranging from his usual ceramic tile to penny coins and even chewing gum.
He has undertaken commissions for the likes of Cadbury’s, Oxfam, Cancer Research and Revolution bars and has sold work in galleries all over the world.
He has displayed mosaics in Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and Selfridge’s and his private clients include pop stars, rock icons and Manchester United and England footballers.
In 2011 his portrait of Jimi Hendrix made from plectrums sold for £23,000 at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Ed Chapman is a contemporary UK artist specialising in
ceramic mosaics. In his instantly recognisable style, the artist achieves
incredibly detailed results, painstakingly creating his subjects using
thousands of fragments of ceramic tile.
A largely self-taught artist based in the North-West of the UK, Ed studied art
through school and college before pursuing a career in journalism. Fascinated
with bringing a contemporary twist to an ancient medium, Ed began creating
mosaic works over a decade ago, resulting in him finally being able to leave
journalism behind for life as a professional artist in 2001.
Originally he worked with paper, creating a series of portrait mosaics, whilst
at the same time experimenting with cityscapes. Looking for a new challenge, Ed
moved on to glass, metal, and ceramic tile, eventually settling on the latter as
his medium of choice.
Influenced by artists such as Chuck Close, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jamie Reid,
Ed also finds inspiration for his works in the music of bands like the Sex
Pistols and The Doors, as well as in everyday articles such as magazines and
televised images.
Ed strives to create intricate photo-realist portraits set against contrasting
bold colour backdrops, forcing the viewer to question if his mosaics are, in
fact paintings. Each work comprises thousands of ceramic tile pieces, all cut
and fastened by hand, and impeccably finished.
Whilst continuing to focus on his core subject matter of portraiture, Ed has
recently begun revisiting his torn paper works again, and has produced a series
of 3D works, to critical acclaim. The artist is also available to commission
and can create personal portraits from life or photography.
Ed has exhibited throughout the UK and across Europe and the US with further
exhibitions planned for 2008/09 in New York and Hong Kong. His work has a
number of high profile collectors.