Owen Bowen (1873-1967) - Yorkshire Artist

Elected to the Staithes Art Club in 1904 & the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1916

Owen Bowen was born at Beeston Hill, Leeds. He studied at Leeds School of Art under Gilbert Foster and later privately at Foster's own studio. He began his career as a designer of pottery and a lithographic artist, turning to painting later. During his early twenties, he established the Leeds School of Painting, later known as the Owen Bowen School of Painting, which he directed for over thirty years.

As a young man, he exhibited with the Staithes Group of Artists and for much of his life, Bowen specialised in landscapes. He developed an interest in still-life subjects later in his life.

Bowen exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1892-1945 and was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1916. He was also elected a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1916 and later served as its President from 1947-1954. Bowen exhibited with the Yorkshire Union of Artists, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Fine Art Society, Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, New Gallery, Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and the Royal Scottish Academy.

He was a member of the Fylingdales Group and a retrospective exhibition of his work was held at Cartwright Hall Museum in 1947. He held solo exhibitions at Collingham near Wetherby in 1958 and 1963, the latter called entitled 'A Lifetime of Painting'.

Bowen was also a member of the Wharfedale Group and his works can be seen in museums in the north of England including Bradford Museums and Galleries, Hepworth Wakefield, Kirklees Museums and Galleries, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Leeds University Collection, Manx Museum, Mercer Art Gallery, Pannett Art Gallery, Rochdale Art Gallery and Salford Museum and Art Gallery. He died at East Keswick.

Sources: www.artbiogs.co.uk