Courtyard Arts is proud to present Michael Evans – A Life in Art, an exhibition celebrating the remarkable creative journey of Hertfordshire‑based artist Michael Evans. Trained at the Slade School of Fine Art, Evans’s career spans sculpture, painting, printmaking, teaching and design.

Evans studied sculpture and painting at The Slade School of Fine Art (UCL) in the 1950s. After graduating, he combined teaching with his own practice, lecturing in art history for the Workers’ Education Association and London University, often travelling to classes by motorbike. His passion for printmaking was ignited by a course with Edward Bawden, whose influence encouraged a playful approach to the medium.

Evans reflects: “Printmaking is a relief from the serious problems of painting — many of my prints are intentionally comic.”

Alongside his prints and paintings, Evans has designed and made furniture and silver jewellery, bringing his keen eye for form and proportion to every piece. His work has been exhibited in London and Hertfordshire, including a joint exhibition with fellow Slade graduate, Ian Poulton, at Courtyard Arts in 2023. He has also exhibited on four occasions at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, in London.

In his fifties, Evans gained an M.A. in Theory and History of Art from the University of Essex, writing his dissertation on Fernand Léger and the Origins of Abstraction. This led to a post as Senior Lecturer in Art and Design History at Middlesex Polytechnic, deepening his engagement with the intellectual and historical dimensions of art.

Now in his ninth decade, Evans continues to draw and study, recently joining a course at the Royal School of Drawing on the theme of The Head. His commitment to learning and making remains undiminished — a testament to a life lived through art.

Exhibition dates: 29 September – 24 October, 2026