Ronald Moody - Sculptor
Ronald Moody was born on the 12th August 1900 in Kingston, Jamaica to Charles Ernest Moody and Christina Emmeline Moody. He had five siblings one of whom was his brother Dr Harold Moody,
In 1923 Ronald moved to London to study dentistry. Whilst on his dentistry journey Ronald also indulged in his hobbies - writing and art. He also enjoyed visiting galleries and museums. Ronald was particularly inspired by the ancient Egyptian art on display at the British Museum during a trip in 1928. The trip prompted him to start thinking about taking his hobby seriously.
In 1930 Ronald qualified for the Licentiate in Dental Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons and went on to register with the General Medical Council. That December he started his dental practice from a studio in Richmond before moving to central London.
Savacou 1964
Whilst still working as a dentist Ronald bought plasticine and taught himself how to carve and mould, he began taking sculpturing seriously and hired a studio. In 1935 Ronald completed his first carved figure in oak, which he called Wohin, meaning ‘where to?’ in German. His first work turned out to be a success, Wohin was purchased by actress Marie Seton. Ronald's pieces were displayed at exhibitions throughout Europe – he was one of the first Black UK based creatives to have a European audience pre-war.
Ronald continued creating sculptors throughout the 1930s. The Brazilian filmmaker Alberto Cavalcanti noticed his work and arranged for Ronald to have his own exhibition in Paris, France, the exhibition was a success. As a result Ronald moved to Paris in 1938. At the time his most popular pieces were Midonz (1937) and Annie (1938).
After the Second World War and throughout the late 1940s, and 1950 Ronald hosted exhibitions in London. However, a lack of sales forced him to return to dentistry part-time in 1954. Despite this his work was always positively received and he was sought out for commissions. In 1964 Ronald created Savacou for the University of West Indies, Jamaica. He also created a portrait bust of his brother Dr Harold Moody in 1946, just a year before he died.
Ronald received the Musgrave Gold Medal, Jamaica’s leading cultural award in 1977 and the Jamaica Institute’s Centenary Medal for contributions to art in 1980 and in 1981 he received the Minority Arts Advisory Service award for his contribution to sculpture.
Ronald Moody died in London on the 6th February 1984 aged 83.
In the same year Ronald sent twelve of his sculptures to the Harmon Foundation in the United States to include in an exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Dallas Museum of Art. Ronald's career was skyrocketing, however the Second World War greatly impacted the momentum of his success. In 1940, when the Germans invaded Paris, Ronald and his wife fled Paris leaving behind his sculptures (some pieces were retrieved years later).
Bust of Dr Harold Moody