about
biography
Christopher Edwards was born in Tasmania and is married with 2 adult children.
He studied medicine at the University of Tasmania, graduating in 1975. He then went on to train as a Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon in Hobart, Sydney and Scotland. He now practices in Hobart.
Christopher is a self-taught sculptor with no formal training in art. He has, however always had an interest in design aesthetics, woodwork, metalwork, painting and sculpture.
His passion for bronze figurative sculpture stemmed from attending a three day drawing and modeling workshop ('The Art of Reconstruction'). This is run specifically for Plastic Surgeons by Michael Esson. Michael is Director of International Drawing Research at The College of Fine Arts of The University of New South Wales. Through a series of exercises, including clay modeling, surgeons were introduced to a different way of thinking about form. This provided an enhanced appreciation of three dimensional curves, angles and volume. This is a great asset in the practice of plastic surgery.
'An artistic sensitivity for contours and proportion, along with technical skill and experience, are paramount to the creation of optimal results in plastic and cosmetic surgery'.
'Art (and plastic surgery), indeed, consists in the conception of the result to be produced before its realisation in the material'.
— Aristotle
Plastic surgery and art have long had a close association. A good example of this is the famous collection of pastels by Henry Tonks completed during World War I for Sir Harold Gillies, the founding father of British plastic surgery. Many plastic surgeons have creative talents outside of their practice of Medicine.
Christopher researched the complex process of converting a clay image into bronze and produced his first figure in 2003. He uses the ancient lost wax technique.
In 2006 Christopher had the privilege of attending a 5 day ‘Master Class’ conducted by renowned American sculptor Richard Macdonald in his Monterey studio. Richard has a renaissance approach and his figurative sculptures of dancers and theatrical figures are an inspiration.
Christopher has traveled extensively and has learned a great deal from observing art, both ancient and contempory in Europe and America.
The main themes of current works are a tribute to the joy of movement and the inherent beauty of the human form. They share moments of tranquil elation, grace and transcendent states, lighter than air—a celebration of life.
Christopher’s work is in many private collections. He has exhibited at both the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting and the International Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery meeting in the 'Surgeons as Artists' section. Commissions include a perpetual commemorative sculpture presented to an invited speaker at the Annual Scientific Meeting of The Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He has also presented on “Art and Plastic Surgery” to The University of the Third Age lecture series and to plastic surgery colleagues. Christopher was recently invited to open the biennial 'Connections' art exhibition at Scotch Oakburn College, his old school.