Govinder Nazran
Internationally successful commercial artist, Govinder Nazran, completed a National Diploma in Graphic Design at Bradford Art College in 1983.
Govinder’s prints and sculpture sell
throughout the world and he was named
Best Selling Published Artist at the Fine Art
Trade Guild Awards in 2004. He produced
a range of Govinder Ceramics for Royal
Worcester in 2005.
“I was born in Birmingham but my parents
moved to Bradford when I was very young.
Since I was small I was always into art and
drawing all the time. Being an artist was the
only thing I ever wanted to do.
I went to Bradford School of Art straight from
school and I loved it. I spent 2 years studying
Graphic Design in Junction Mills on Thornton
Road. I saw the work of Arthur Rackham and
Edmund Dulac and that’s when I got hooked
on illustration.
It was great fun – mostly
the usual student thing of going down the
pub! I am still in touch with a few of my old
classmates, particularly Mick Thornton, who
does lighting for big bands and people like
David Bowie. I came away with a distinction
and then did an HND Illustration at Lincoln.
I went off to London, found an agent and
started illustrating children’s books. I then
moved to Cambridge for a year, still working
as an illustrator, but a combination of missing
my family and being skint prompted me
to move back up North. I stopped doing
illustration as it didn’t pay too well and
went into greeting cards work for Hallmark.
I soon became their highest paid designer,
earning £350 for a card compared to £175
other regular artists were paid. But I decided
I wanted to work on a bigger scale and so I
sought out the best fine art publishers. I took
3 unframed canvases to a trade fair at the
NEC and I accepted a 5 year contract from
Washington Green the same day. I have been
with them for 10 years now and my work sells
in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan,
where I tour every year.”
We are very sad to note that Govinder died following a tragic accident in December 2008, when he was just 44. We greatly appreciated his fine talent and generous support of this exhibition.
Photograph and text by Shelagh Ward