The family of Brighton artist, John Eyles (b.1923 d.2002), will be holding a free public exhibition of his artwork at the Friends Meeting House on the centenary of his birth, to honour his life and work. Jane Wilde, John’s daughter, said ‘We are delighted to provide the opportunity for people to view the work of Brightonian John Eyles, artist, engineer and writer – a true polymath.  The artwork we are exhibiting is on loan from family members and represents a broad range of John’s artistic skills.  Although the pictures won’t be on sale, there will be prints available to purchase.’ John studied at the Slade School of Art in the 1940s and won the Royal Academy of Arts award for most promising new artist.  He was part of the Notting Hill bohemian set in the 1950s/60s where he developed his unique artistic style.  John’s artwork is eclectic and includes abstract, conceptual, expressionism and impressionism, and he also had a leaning towards Chinese art forms and technical drawing styles. He worked using various mediums including acrylic, oil, watercolour, charcoal, and pen and ink. John’s choice of friends and acquaintances was as varied as his work and included his drinking partner Dylan Thomas; Cliff Richard (of whom he made several sketches); Peter Cook; Dudley Sutton; the art historian Francis Haskell (John’s first son was named after him); George Melly (for whom John created a Punch & Judy theatre); Alan Bennett (who apparently included John as a character in one of his plays); ‘the two Roberts’ Robert Colquhoun and Robert MacBryde (who for a time rented a room in his house); poets/writers Mark Hyatt and Cressida Lindsay (who shared a house with John in Notting Hill); and the poets George Barker and Elizabeth Smart (Elizabeth helped to deliver John’s son Danny). Previous to becoming an artist, John studied engineering and in the 1970s he was a member of the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales, where he created Creton windmills.  He was later sponsored by a Quaker couple to create a wind-pump to raise water from a well in the Santal tribal village in Bihar province, in the North of India.  John wrote a book about his experience called Ropes and Angels – A Windmill in India (unpublished). The venue has wheelchair access Tea and coffee available @£1 per cup Cash only for print purchases