Ronald Moody
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Ronald Moody (1900-1984) was a Jamaican born sculptor, specialising in wood carvings.
Moody was born in 1900 in Kingston, Jamaica into a well-off professional family, moving to London in 1923 to study dentistry at Kings College. In London he became inspired by the British Museum's collection of non-Western art and decided to become a sculptor. Early experiments with clay led Moody to teach himself how to carve. He produced his first carved figure in oak. By the late 1930s Moody had accumulated an impressive collection of work and had a solo show in Paris, the success of the show encouraged him to move to Paris (where he lived until 1940). In 1938 twelve major sculptures were sent to the Harmon Foundation, USA to be included in exhibitions at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art.
Among his most famous works from this period was his great female head, Midonz (1937). Moody's Paris success followed him to London and from 1950 until the early 60s regular London exhibitions brought him a growing presence on the British art scene.
