Haydn Llewellyn Davies (11 November 1921 – 24 March 2008) was a Welsh-born

Canadian artist The following is a list of Canadian artists working in visual or plastic media (including 20th-century artists working in video art, performance art, or other types of new media). See other articles for information on Canadian literature, music, ci ...

known for his large constructivist

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s which stand outside many public buildings across Canada. Davies was born on 11 November 1921 in

Rhymney Rhymney (; cy, Rhymni ) is a town and a community in the county borough of Caerphilly, South Wales. It is within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. With the villages of Pontlottyn, Fochriw, Abertysswg, Deri and New Tredegar, Rhymney is ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, his father was called Emrys and his mother was called Rosina, her maiden name being Gallop. The Davies family emigrated to Canada when he was around nine years old. He studied art at the

Central Technical School Central Technical School (CTS or Central Tech) is a Canadian composite high school in Toronto, Ontario. The school is run by the Toronto District School Board (TDSB); before 1998, it was run by the Toronto Board of Education (TBE). Central Tech ...

from where he graduated in 1939. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

he joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

and served overseas from 1941 -1945 with

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

, attaining the rank of sergeant and being mentioned in despatches. While serving in the RCAF Davies designed a poster which is in the collection of the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...

in London. After he finished his war service he completed his education at The Ontario College of Art, graduating in 1947. After graduating, Davies commenced work in graphic design and advertising, eventually rising to become a senior vice-president and director of McCann-Erickson Advertising of Canada, from where he resigned in 1976 when he was 55 to start work as a full-time sculptor. Me married Eva Koller in 1948 and the couple had two sons. His work has been exhibited in a galleries including the

Anita Shapolsky Gallery The Anita Shapolsky Gallery is an art gallery that was founded in 1982 by Anita Shapolsky. It is currently located at 152 East 65th Street, on Manhattan's Upper East Side, in New York City. The gallery specializes in 1950s and 1960s abstract e ...

in New York City. In 2004 the Canadian government designated his sculpture Algoma Blue, located outside the

Art Gallery of Algoma The Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA) is an art museum in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The museum occupies a facility, situated near the shoreline of St. Marys River. The museum was formally incorporated on 7 July 1975, and in 1980, moved to it ...

in Sault Ste. Marie, a heritage piece. Davies was a member of the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Haydn Llewellyn 1921 births 2008 deaths Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts People from Rhymney Welsh male sculptors 20th-century British sculptors 20th-century Welsh male artists 20th-century Canadian male artists 20th-century Canadian sculptors British emigrants to Canada