Sybil Andrews

(British/Canadian, 1898–1992)

Sybil Andrews was an English artist best known for her stylized linocuts portraying daily life. Influenced by English Vorticists like Wyndham Lewis, Andrews did not rely on perspective to convey space. Instead, she overlaid dynamic forms and figures in action, as seen in the work Speedway (1934). Born on April 19, 1898 in Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom, Andrews began her artistic career as a welder's apprentice, constructing airplanes during World War I. After the war, she taught at the Portland House School, it was here she met the artist Cyril Power. Power became a major influence and mentor to the artist, who spurred on Andrews to pursue a career in art. The pair became collaborators for almost 20 years, co-authoring prints under the name “Andrew Power” and even produced a series of sports posters for Wimbledon and Epsom Derby. She went on to study at Heatherley's School of Fine Art in London until 1924, and later taught at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. After spending World War II welding ships, she moved to British Columbia, Canada. It was in Canada, that the artist gained widespread acclaim and recognition. Andrews died on December 21, 1992 in Campbell River, Canada. The artist’s work can be found in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.