Willi (Wilhelm Josef) Soukop

Born 5 January 1907
Died 8 February 1995

Active: 1928 - 1991

Country of birth: Austria

Country of death: Scotland

Sculptor, engraver, teacher

Born in Vienna of an Austrian mother and a Czech father. He became a student of drawing by night and an apprentice engraver by day. Soukop's father committed suicide in 1919 and to help his mother, who had two other children to care for, he began carving umbrella handles and ivory boxes for a local trader. This income, together with his earnings as an apprentice engraver, enabled Soukop to study at the Academy of Fine Art, Vienna between 1928-34.

In 1934 he was invited to work at Dartington Hall, near Totnes, Devon, by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst, which allowed him to escape the escalation of political and economic problems in Vienna. At Dartington he was given the use of a studio, a teaching post, and access to an international network of arts contacts ranging from dancers and musicians to potters and gallerists. Among the people he met and befriended during his time at Dartington (1934-40) were the potter Bernard Leach, the artist Cecil Collins and the set designer, Heine Heckroth. Soukop also met the artist and gallery-owner Eardley Knollys, whose Storran Gallery gave Soukop his first one-person show in 1938.

In 1940 he was classified as an 'alien' and interned at Aintree racecourse. Soukop was then shipped off to Canada, where he spent nine months before being released. On his return to Dartington, he was offered the job of Art Master at Blundell's School, Tiverton, Devon, where he established a highly regarded sculpture department. Soukop went on to accomplish similar successes at Bryanston School, Dorset, and the Downs School, Worcestershire.

After the Second World War Soukop was successively appointed teacher of sculpture at Bromley School of Art (1945-46), Guildford School of Art (1945-47), and Chelsea School of Art (1947-72). This last post he held concurrently for three years with Master of Sculpture at the Royal Academy Schools (1969-82). Soukop was also a member of the British School in Rome Sculpture Faculty.

He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1935 and attracted the attention and admiration of John Skeaping, Tom Monnington and Charles Wheeler. He was elected an Associate (ARA) in 1963 and a full member (RA) in 1969. Soukop received similar recognition from the Royal Society of British Sculptors becoming an Associate (ARBS) in 1958 and a Fellow in 1961 (FRBS). Over the years he exhibited in numerous mixed shows, such as: 'Sculpture in the Open Air', Battersea Park (1949 and 1950), several biennales, many Arts Council exhibitions, and 'Football and the Fine Arts', Football Association/Arts Council, Park Lane House, London 1953 (prizewinner). Soukop's work was also the subject of an exhibition at the Yehudi Menuhin School and University College, Swansea.

He received many commissions, both for portrait busts and larger pieces for public buildings, housing estates and schools. Soukop's commissions include: sheet metal relief for Harpenden School; Whitelands Training College, London 1951; Sir James Altham Lower School, Oxley, Hertfordshire 1951; Margaret School, Parsons Green, London; Donkey commissioned by Dartington Hall, further cast acquired by Harlow Art Trust 1955 and publicly sited; The Pied Piper 1959, Elmington Estate, Camberwell, London; Kidbrooke School, Greenwich, London 1957; Martins in flight for Martins High School, Anstey, Leicestershire 1957; Signs of Zodiac for Martins High School, Astney, Burleigh Community College, Loughborough and Guthlaxton Community College, Wigston 1957. Soukop's work is represented in a number of public collections, notably Tate and Harlow Art Trust.

Further reading: W. Soukop, ‘Modelling for Beginners’, 'The Artist', November 1953-January 1954 and 'Sculpture for a New Europe: Public Sculpture from Britain and the 2 Germanies 1945-68', Henry Moore Institute and Leeds City Art Gallery, 1999-2000, (exh. cat.).

Biography from Gillian Whiteley (2001) supplemented by information from Michael Parkin's obituary, 'Independent', (1995).

Citing this record

'Willi (Wilhelm Josef) Soukop', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1276258709, accessed 03 Jun 2023]