My Italian Link - Issue #09 My Italian Link Issue #09 | Page 54

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ARTIST
“He was
a committed
and disciplined
full-time artist
who treated
his creative
output with deep
sincerity.”
~
IN A STRANGE LAND
1
Born in Italy, Villa trained as a sculptor at the Scuo-
la d’Arte Andrea Fantoni. While pursuing his career
in sculpture, the Second World War broke out and
Villa was called up to fight. After being captured by
British forces in Egypt, Villa was sent to South Afri-
ca as a prisoner of war. He was placed at Zon-
derwater, a concentration camp built by the Allies,
and which was used almost exclusively for Italian
soldiers. During his four years at Zonderwater, Villa
focused on realism. Taking the work of Auguste
Rodin as his inspiration, he completed busts of the
camp wardens and their associates. Villa’s work
during this time was somber and emotional in tone,
reflecting the difficulty of life in captivity.
A MONUMENTAL MAN
The late Edoardo Villa (1915-2011)
lived a life not without its fair share
of incident. Sent to South Africa
as POW (prisoner of war)
during WWII, Villa chose to make
the country his home, and eventually
became its foremost abstract sculptor.
CHANGING STYLES
5
1 - Reclining figure, 1990. Steel, 184 cm.
2 - Sitting figure, 1970. Bronze, 67 cm.
3 - Embrace, 1946. Plaster of Paris, 53 cm.
4 - Figure, 1963. Bronze, 72,5 cm.
5 - Cubism form, 1961. Plaster of Paris, 64 cm.
2
3
4
Villa’s career stretched over almost 70 years, and
during that time he witnessed vast changes in the
South African social and political landscape.
South Africa proved to be a constant inspiration,
and he actively worked towards creating a South
African identity in his art. According to Esmé Ber-
man, art historian, Villa’s work began to speak
“convincingly, not of the appearance, but of the
experience of Africa”. Central to this practice was
the way that Villa immersed himself in the South
African art scene – he joined the renowned Polly
Street Art Centre, as well as the Amadlozi Group,
made up of fellow artists Cecil Skotnes, Sydney
Kumalo, Giuseppe Cattaneo and Cecily Sash.
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