John Merritt

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Biography

John Merritt was born in 1938 in South London. He lived with both his parents on a council estate in Peckham Rye until his father went to serve in the war with the RAF. The war in London was hard for his mother, but for John as a small boy it was both frightening and exciting, full of stark and violent images. After the war, with his father back home, he began to take an interest in drawing and painting, the subject matter of which was inevitably inspired by the powerful and violent images he had so recently witnessed.

He was later awarded a scholarship to study painting, drawing and design at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts.

In the late 1950s, his career was interrupted when he was called up for National Service and he spent two years in the British army. Army life however, was not particularly conducive to painting, but he was able to spend much of his free time sketching. He also developed an interest in poetry, which continues to this day.

The two years in the army soon become just a happy memory; a time to 'grow up'. Once back in 'Civvy Street', he was able to take up the threads of his career. He has since worked in advertising agencies, design studios, and as a freelance illustrator. His last position, before becoming a full-time painter, was as an art director in an architectural practice.

As a married man with grand-children, he will often compare their young lives in relative peace with his own childhood in war-torn London. For him, painting is the obvious outlet for these images, now seen in the context of today's on-going conflicts and inequities.

His work does, of course, embrace all aspects of the human condition, but that darker side of his childhood memory is never far away.

Contact Details

John Merritt
T: 020 8761 1574