Geoffrey Smedley

Geoffrey Smedley (Canadian, 1927–2018) was a sculptor, writer and teacher, serving as professor at the UBC Fine Arts Department from 1978 to 1992. Born in London, England, he studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College in London, arriving in Canada as a visiting artist at Queen’s University in 1977. Equally an academic and an artist, Smedley was a Renaissance scholar who published on fifteenth century Italian artist Piero della Francesca, while as a sculptor, he combined disciplines such as mathematics and philosophy with accomplished craftsmanship, his highly intellectual work functioned as a metaphor for language, time and memory. His sculptures have been widely exhibited in Canada, the United Kingdom and the US and can be found in private and public collections, including the Arts Council of Great Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Canadian Centre for Architecture. His sculpture Rowingbridge was a centrepiece at Expo 86 in Vancouver.