Michael Adams, M.B.E. the Seychelles’ best known artist has been living and working in the Seychelles since 1972. His vividly coloured pictures show up a wealth of detail and evoke the fecundity of the islands in a way that no other artist can match. Michael Adams was awarded the Member of British Empire.
Michael Adams was born in Malaysia in 1937. His father was a rubber planter there for Dunlop and his half German mother was an opera singer. He was sent to England when he was 9 for schooling and went to Falmouth college of art where he discovered the wonderful forest of Heligan, Cornwall, where he painted, and the Royal College of Art, London, so studied engraving and painting for 7 years. In his final year in 1961 he was chosen to go to Makerere University, Uganda to start the graphic department there from 1961- 1965. He then decided to become a free lance artist painting mostly in east Africa and holding many successful exhibitions there.
He met Heather Denselow, who is from England in 1971 in Kenya where she was teaching at the Nairobi primary school and forgot her name and only remembered it was a flower, so held an exhibition of 40 paintings of her all called Flower 1 – 40 and sold them all. When he finally found her again he asked her name and when she told him, he replied that was a weed, not a flower, and she was most surprised! They came to Seychelles in 1972 where they got married and found a lovely wooden house in the jungle at Anse Aux Poules Bleues which means Bay of the blue chickens. They actually have several chickens with blue faces and beaks and several also lay blue eggs. They also have many dogs and cats, ducks and turkeys and fish.
They still live in the same house where they have planted a botanical garden where Michael and the children often paint. Tristan was born in Seychelles in 1977 and Alyssa in 1980 and they both now live in Seychelles also, having completed their education in England. They are also both artists and show their paintings at the gallery which is in the house.
Michael has held exhibitions all over the world including England, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Malaysia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritius, America, South Africa, Austria and Seychelles. He has also painted in many countries, often on commission, in India for Taj hotels, Turkey and Kenya for Robinson club hotels, Bali for Trauminsel Reisen, Mauritius for St.Geran hotel - and he has also painted in Scotland, Switzerland, China, Australia and Tasmania, New Zealand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, .Italy, and Canada and has also made book covers, calendars for Barclays bank, scarves, wine labels, telephone books, ties, the uniform for Air Seychelles, and even bags with his designs on.
However he is mostly painting in Seychelles and in 2001 was delighted to have been awarded the MBE by Queen Elizabeth for his services to art in Seychelles. The gallery is in his house and visitors are welcome to come and see the watercolours, silk screens, line blocks, calendars and postcards.
The Residence
Michael and Heather still live at Anse aux Poules Bleues in a wooden plantation house in the far south of Mahe island - together with 40 chickens, many cats and dogs, 10 ducks, 3 giant tortoises & a million fish in a jungle pond, guarded by a greedy little bittern (heron) give a little life to the huge garden.
Next generation
Tristan Adams
Tristan Kim Adams - born in 1977 in Seychelles. He only began to paint in 2006 while on a surfing holiday in Mauritius. He had previously spent years drawing cartoons and designs and writing poetry and stories- but never painting, so this was a great discovery.
He was educated in Seychelles at the International School, Seychelles and in England at Leighton Park, Frensham Heights and Duff Miller, London, Brighton cookery college and the Seychelles polytechnic, and has worked as cabin crew for air Seychelles and as a trainee manager at the Plantation Club hotel, Seychelles and also has been a fisherman.
He is a very keen surfer but now painting has become his way of life. He exhibits his watercolour paintings and prints at the Michael Adams gallery.
Contact: mzungu77@gmail.com
Alyssa Adams
Alyssa Michele Adams was born in Seychelles in 1980 and educated at the International School, Seychelles, and in England at Woldingham School, then Kingston University, where she did an art foundation course, and Chelsea college of art- where her paintings were chosen by the Lord Mayor of London to hang in London's City Hall.
She has returned to Seychelles to live and paint permanently and exhibits her watercolour paintings, prints, postcards and hand silk screened pareos and scarves work at the Michael Adams gallery.
Contact: adamsalyssa@hotmail.com
Website: www.jungle.sc
