Ben Uri Research Unit

Born: 1907 Calcutta (now Kolkata), India

Died: 2002 Treen, Cornwall, England

Year of Migration to the UK: 1921

Biography

Painter Michael Forster was born in 1907 in Calcutta, British India (now Kolkata, India) but his childhood was spent in the northern city of Meerut, situated on the vast Ganges plain, where the dramatic landscapes, filled with rich visual contrasts, had a lasting impact on his artistic perception. In 1921, Forster moved to England, where he received his formal education at Lancing College in Sussex, and where his interest in the arts began to take root. His art training continued at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London (now Central Saint Martins, UAL), where he studied under notable modern British painters, Bernard Meninsky and William Roberts. Their influence, particularly in modernist and figurative traditions, played an important role in shaping his early development. Forster later studied at the Académie Colarossi in Paris, where he was exposed to European modernism and the avant-garde scene, experiences that would significantly impact his later work.

In 1927, Forster moved to Toronto, Canada, to avoid the hardships of the Great Depression. He began his career as a freelance illustrator and commercial artist, quickly becoming part of the local art scene. He built strong connections with members of the Group of Seven, particularly A.Y. Jackson, who mentored him. A key moment in his artistic development came in 1938, when the Surrealist section of the Canadian National Exhibition ignited his interest in surrealism and abstraction. His work became defined by intuitive, subconscious-driven compositions, characterised by vibrant, textured surfaces, using acrylics and polymers. During the Second World War, Forster served as an official Canadian war artist, documenting his experiences in works that blended realism and abstraction, now housed in the Canadian War Museum. Postwar, his friendships with Quebecois painter, Jean-Paul Riopelle, and the Automatistes deepened his commitment to abstract expression, as he explored themes of light and nature in his work.

In 1952, Forster moved to Mexico. Captivated by the country’s vibrant post-revolutionary art scene, he developed close relationships with leading artists of the day, such as Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo. Rivera, in particular, exposed Forster to Mexican muralism, which influenced his exploration of large-scale compositions and bold colour schemes. Mexico's rich cultural history and intense light became critical to Forster's artistic evolution, and its dramatic landscapes inspired him to experiment with increasingly strong, complex compositions. During this period, he also taught stained glass design at the Universidad Ibero-Americana, further expanding his influence in the local art community. His years in Mexico culminated in a prestigious solo exhibition at the Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno in Mexico City in 1960, helping to solidify his growing international reputation.

In 1974, following the death of his wife, Forster returned to England and settled in Treen, Cornwall. The dramatic Cornish coastline with its changing light and artistic heritage, became a perfect environment for Forster's abstract works and he began to refine his process of translating natural light and landscapes into abstract forms, creating increasingly luminous and texturally rich compositions, exploring the delicate balance of light and form in a more intuitive and spontaneous manner. His creative process continued to evolve, as he stated in 1970: ‘I try to work in a state of open, receptive, mindlessness; to be alert to every hint, every direction that reveals itself in the course of the work’ (Messum’s website). His approach to painting became increasingly focused on capturing subtle shifts in light and nature.

Though largely reclusive during his later years in Cornwall, Forster continued to exhibit internationally. Although his work received little recognition in Britain (he had a notable solo show at the Newlyn Art Gallery in Cornwall in 1981), he gained considerable acclaim abroad, including a major retrospective at The Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Canada, presented in 1993. In 2002, his work was celebrated at the Galerie d’Art Déclic in Luxembourg and at the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie, Canada. Forster’s return to England marked the final chapter of his personal and professional life, but it was also a period of remarkable artistic growth. His later works, marked by luminous colours and complex textures, reflected his lifelong fascination with the natural world and the subconscious. Forster remained committed to his intuitive, experimental approach to painting until his death. Michael Forster died in Treen, Cornwall, England in 2002. In the UK public domain, his painting Trees by Water is held in the collection of West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance. Since the mid-2000s, Forster’s work has been frequently exhibited with Messum's in London, which also represents the Michael Forster Studio Estate.

Related books

Michael Forster (1907-2002): an Inner Landscape, exhibition catalogue (London: Studio Publications: 2007)
My World: the Landscapes of Michael Forster, 1907-2002, exhibition catalogue (Toronto: Gallery Gevik, 2002)
Michael Forster: order out of chaos: sixty years of a Canadian artist, exhibition catalogue (Oshawa: Robert McLaughlin Gallery, 1993)
Exhibition of Canadian War Art, exhibition catalogue (Ottawa: The Gallery, 1946)

Related organisations

Académie Colarossi, Paris (student)
Central School of Arts and Crafts, London (student)

Selected exhibitions

Michael Forster, 1907-2002: Works from the Studio Estate, Messum’s, London (2013)
Michael Forster, 1907-2002: Perpetual Emergence, Messum's, London (2012)
Twentieth Century Works on Paper, Messum's, London (2012)
Michael Forster, 1907-2002: The Return to England, Messum's, London (2009)
Michael Forster (1907-2002): an Inner Landscape, Messum’s, London (2007)
Atelier, group exhibition, Messum’s, London (2006)
Michael Forster, Newlyn Art Gallery , Newlyn, Cornwall (1981)
Michael Forster: order out of chaos: sixty years of a Canadian artist, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, Canada (1993)
Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno, Mexico City, Mexico (1960)

Ben Uri archive

Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Michael Forster]

Ben Uri Research Unit

for the study and digital recording of the Jewish, Refugee and wide Immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.

Michael Forster artist