Stuart Williamson (born 1948, England) is a sculptor, teacher of sculpture and poet fromNorth East England. He is a Fellow of theRoyal British Society of Sculptors,[1] a Member of theSociety of Portrait Sculptors (UK), a Member of theNational Sculpture Society (USA), and a Founding Member of the Portrait Sculptures Society of America. He is also a Member of theSalmagundi Club inManhattan and was featured in their American Masters show in 2015.[2]
Williamson was formerly senior sculptor forMadam Tussauds at their London studio[3][4][5] and there and abroad conducted sittings for sculpture with many notable contemporary persons and celebrities, includingSophie, Countess of Wessex,[6] Chinese leaderJiang Zemin,[7]Sting,Little Richard,Eric Clapton,[8]Bette Midler,Tony Bennett,Shirley MacLaine,Morgan Freeman,Michael Caine,Pavarotti,[9][10] Australian singerKylie Minogue,[11][12] andBollywood actorAmitabh Bachchan.[13]
The artist has sculpted, or collaborated on the sculpting, of numerous historical figures both in wax and bronze. He sculpted three portraits ofGeorge Washington at three stages of Washington's life forMount Vernon,[14]Abraham Lincoln for both theGettysburg Museum and Visitor Center and thePresident Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home,[15][16] andSimon Bolivar for a private collection.[17] He led the team and established the sculptural style for the sculpting ofBenjamin Franklin,George Washington and five other signers for theNational Constitution Center inPhiladelphia,[18] sculptedAlbert Einstein for theGriffith Observatory in Los Angeles,[19]Thomas Jefferson forMonticello,[20]Franklin Roosevelt andEleanor Roosevelt for theFranklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in New York,Robert E. Lee for theStratford Hall (plantation) Museum in Virginia,Harry S. Truman for theHarry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum[21][22] in Missouri, poetJohn Keats forGuy's Hospital in London[23][24] and poetWalt Whitman for a private client in Michigan.
Williamson has also created many personal works, including,Pina Bausch (Choreographer) andBruno Schulz, (Author of 'Street of Crocodiles', Teacher and Artist), has exhibited at theRoyal Academy Summer Exhibition, annually at the Society of Portrait Sculptors show, theMall Galleries and The American Masters Exhibition at theSalmagundi Club inManhattan, and has exhibited many of his pastel drawings worldwide.
In 2001 Williamson was asked to train a group of Ecuadorian artists in portraiture, molding, wax casting, colouring, and hair insertion for the development of their Historical Museum at theMetropolitan Cultural Center inQuito, Ecuador.[25]
In 2014 Williamson sculpted a twice life-size bust of Professor Kin Yon Tin, who was one of the founders of the Civil Engineering Department atFudan University, China. The bust was unveiled inWuhan, China 21 October 2016.[26]
Stuart Williamson lives and works part-time in both New York City andEcuador.[27] He is at present devoted to writing poetry.
