Biography
Cecil Osborne (b. Poplar, London, UK 1909 - d. Jimena de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain 1996), an artist in oil, watercolour, scraperboard and mosaic,although not an original member, studied in the evenings at John Cooper’s Bow and Bromley Evening Institute classes, showing with the East London Art Club at the Whitechape Art Gallery in 1928 and as the East London Group at Alex. Reid & Lefevre from 1929, also with NEAC, RA and Civil Defence Artists’ Association at Cooling’s Gallery. About 1933 Cooper became interested in mosaic and new materials for wall and other decorations; arranged classes at Central School of Arts and Crafts, with Osborne as his technical assistant; with a studio in Camden Town they carried out several commissions. Later Osborne went into town planning with St Pancras Borough Council and completed three large wall panels in oil dealing with its history, which re-emerged after the publication of David Buckman's From Bow to Biennale; Artists of the East London Group (2012). Osborne retired to Jimena de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain, eventually dying there after a stroke left him helpless.
