Born in Kent, UK in 1929, COLIN HUNT is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. After gaining a BSc at London University, he went on to graduate from the Advanced Management Programme at the Harvard Business School, USA. His specialist involvement was in Urban Renewal and he wrote the commissioned “Fulham Study” on urban regeneration in 1965. Hunt was the instigator and first chairman of St Katherine by Tower, London, a pioneer of beneficial change.
Always touched by Mediterranean history and its abiding and enhancing light he resolved to live in the remoter areas of Mallorca, Spain and devote himself to his life long interest in sculpture and painting. To this end, he acquired in 1978 an ancient, rambling ‘finca’ overlooking the town of Soller, ringed with the mountains of the Serra Tramontana and near the lee of Puig Major – the highest Mallorcan mountain. In 2000 he moved to a post-modern house overlooking the sea at the artists colony of Deia, 8 km southwest of Soller.
His first interest and involvement was sculpture, inspired by the 100 or more ancient olive trees on his property and their convoluted shapes – some reputed to be over 500 years old. Olive wood, which was his main material, is a dense hard wood of beautiful colour and texture.
For many years his key interest has been in painting and illustration, using as his subjects the dramatic and historic landscape that surrounds him, as well as disciplined still-life and portraiture. He is equally adept with oil paint and water colour but stands clear of acrylic. Recent works include 96 images to illustrate Dante’s Divine Comedy and a complete deck of tarot cards.