Robin Bell

He attends Trinity College School in Port Hope and obtains a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College at the University of Toronto in 1972. Soon afterwards he becomes assistant to Bruce Garner for the completion of the bronze doors of Ottawa’s Commonwealth Conference Centre. In 1973 he opens a studio in Carrara where he sculpts his first marble works. In 1974 he moves to Pietrasanta. In 1976 he obtains a scholarship from the Greenschields Foundation and in 1978 another scholarship from the Canada Council. In 2005 he is elected member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors.

He holds his first personal exhibition at the Marianne Friedland Gallery in Toronto in 1973, followed by several collective and personal showings at public and private galleries in North America and Europe, above all in Rome (among which the personal showing at the Centro Culturale Canadese in 1983) and in Toronto.

In 1980 he receives his first great bronze commission for Edmonton, Canada. Since then, Bell has dedicated himself to different works for public and private commissions: “Running In” 1980-1981 and “Open Sea” 1984-1985, West Edmonton Mall, Alberta, Canada; “The Goalie” 1984-85, Place Vertu, Montreal, Canada; “Chunky Cutting” 1987-1990 and “The Cutters’ Choice” 1997-1998, Mill Woods Center, Alberta; “Teeming” 1989-1990, Meadowhall, Sheffield, England; “Wallscape” 1991-1992, Queen Road and “Ninja Wall” 1993-1994, Canton Road, Hong Kong; “The Circle of Caring” 2000, The Maycourt Hospice, Ottawa, Canada; “Casson’s Pine” 2001-2003, Muskoka, Canada; “R. Crumb” 2002-2003 and “Churchill” 2004-2005, Garden of Heroes, Dorsington, England; “Arcus” 2004-2005, Toronto, Canada; “Eagles’ Nest” 2005-2008, Quinto do Lago, Portugal.

His sculptures are found in the public collections of the Glenbow Foundation, Calgary; The Western Heritage Museum, Cochrange, Alberta; The Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto; Rodman Hall, St. Catherine, Ontario; Trent University, Trent, Ontario.

In Versilia he has worked in the laboratories of Giorgio Angeli, Ugo Antognazzi, Roberta Giovannini, Scultori Associati, Stagi and the Fonderia Mariani in Pietrasanta and has participated in several exhibitions, among which: “I collettiva di scultori in Versilia” 1974, Querceta; “Scultori e artigiani in un centro storico” 1977, Pietrasanta; “Artisti in Piazza” 1978, Pietrasanta; “Il passato e la presenza” 2nd edition 1983, Pietrasanta; “Opere prime” 1986, Centro Culturale Luigi Russo, Pietrasanta; “Il disegno degli scultori” 1988, Centro Culturale Luigi Russo, Pietrasanta; “Omaggio a Sem” 1997, Centro Culturale Luigi Russo, Pietrasanta; “50%: artisti in cantina” 2002, Fondazione Arkad, Seravezza; “100 artisti in ospedale” 2003, ex-Ospedale Lucchesi, Pietrasanta; “Enoliarte” 2003, 2004, Fondazione Arkad, Seravezza.

The photographs published in the TimeLine were taken from the Artist’s website www.robinbell.net