Artists of KZN
Carl Roberts
Carl Roberts was born in 1957 in Bristol, England. His father was a pilot and his mother a P.T. trainer in the R.A.F. His father went to Germany as part of the N.A.T.O. occupational forces. During an exercise he crashed his jet and died. His mother took the family to South Africa to live near his grandparents.
Following his mothers marriage to his uncle, the family moved to Kitwe, Zambia and later, Benoni, Newcastle and Pretoria in South Africa.
After the death of Carls step father and uncle, his mother met Robbie (Arthur) Roberts and the family moved to Tanga in Tanzania and the East london in South Africa.
Carl and his sister were adopted by Robbie Roberts and hence acquired his surname. It was in East London that Carl finished his schooling.
He started work as a fireman in the East London fire brigade, resigning after 2 years to join a friend who was living in Palaborwa working as an assistant on a dairy farm.
After a while he went back to East London and passed his time fishing, diving, hanging around pubs and drinking beer for a period of seven months. He then went on to Durban joining the railways driving long distances as a heavy duty driver.
He managed to save enough money to go to university visualising a long "holiday" with lots of socialising. He initially registered for a journalism degree obtaining special permission to take extra subjects such as fine art and philosophy. Looking back the Fine Art was an obvious choice as I have always made things. After a short while he changed from studying journalism to fine art.
Finally finding his niche, Carl became interested in and motivated about his studies. His self confidence and self esteem improved dramatically and success followed, graduating in 1985 and winning the Purvis Prize for best student and acquiring academic half colours.
He then became a graduate assistant and, later, a junior lecturer at Rhodes University. Since then he has lectured in fine arts at universities around KZN. In 1993 he received his Masters Degree in Fine Art. Two years later, after eight years of lecturing, he became a full time artist.
To contact Carl Roberts email him at [email protected] or click here to visit his website.
Following his mothers marriage to his uncle, the family moved to Kitwe, Zambia and later, Benoni, Newcastle and Pretoria in South Africa.
After the death of Carls step father and uncle, his mother met Robbie (Arthur) Roberts and the family moved to Tanga in Tanzania and the East london in South Africa.
Carl and his sister were adopted by Robbie Roberts and hence acquired his surname. It was in East London that Carl finished his schooling.
He started work as a fireman in the East London fire brigade, resigning after 2 years to join a friend who was living in Palaborwa working as an assistant on a dairy farm.
After a while he went back to East London and passed his time fishing, diving, hanging around pubs and drinking beer for a period of seven months. He then went on to Durban joining the railways driving long distances as a heavy duty driver.
He managed to save enough money to go to university visualising a long "holiday" with lots of socialising. He initially registered for a journalism degree obtaining special permission to take extra subjects such as fine art and philosophy. Looking back the Fine Art was an obvious choice as I have always made things. After a short while he changed from studying journalism to fine art.
Finally finding his niche, Carl became interested in and motivated about his studies. His self confidence and self esteem improved dramatically and success followed, graduating in 1985 and winning the Purvis Prize for best student and acquiring academic half colours.
He then became a graduate assistant and, later, a junior lecturer at Rhodes University. Since then he has lectured in fine arts at universities around KZN. In 1993 he received his Masters Degree in Fine Art. Two years later, after eight years of lecturing, he became a full time artist.
To contact Carl Roberts email him at [email protected] or click here to visit his website.
