Sculptor Maureen Quin

Maureen Quin is no stranger to the Grahamstown Arts Festival, having started exhibiting at Rennie Hall in the Albany Museum in 1992. What is, however, very refreshing about Maureen’s approach is the interactive nature of her Festival exhibitions. As she puts it: “I wanted to break away from the stereotype of exhibitions which are basically empty, silent and intimidating spaces for viewing art.” Her approach is to encourage interaction, communication and participation.

So it is that one enters Rennie Hall with a sense of anticipation. We found Maureen busy working on a portrait of a friend. She had taken numerous photographs of the model and these were displayed on a board in front of where she was working. She was deeply involved, building up the form with small pieces of clay. Viewing the original bronzes on display, however, made one instantly aware that what was happening was far more than just capturing the physical features of her model, for Maureen has a rare ability to capture the essence and spirit of her subject. Her bronzes have a presence that stays with you and leave an indelible impression on your mind.



Maureen was born and schooled in the Bloemfontein district. She studied sculpture in Durban and then went on to further her studies in London. She is a professional sculptor with numerous public and private commissions to her name and she has had more than 40 solo exhibitions and has participated in more than twenty group exhibitions. She is represented in most art collections in South Africa. She received the silver medal of the University of Pretoria for her outstanding contribution to art and the Premier’s award for promoting sculpture in the Eastern Province.

Maureen’s husband, Etienne, is obviously one of her greatest admirers and he was quick to engage in conversation and supply us with details of her working methods, past commissions and an extremely important project that she will be involved in the months ahead.

Maureen and Etienne live in Alexandria in the Eastern Cape and her sculptures are permanently on display to the public in the “Sculpture Garden” at her home. This would obviously be well worth a visit, but the exceptional quality of her work ensures that we will no doubt be hearing a great deal more about this extremely talented sculptor in the not too distant future.