Jean Doyle is one of South Africa’s leading sculptors. In a career spanning four decades, she has been an artistic adventurer, producing a highly diverse portfolio that integrates images of Africa with the influence of European culture. Her imagination often belies a revolutionary spirit and razor sharp wit. Her resulting work, beautifully crafted in silicone bronze, is stunning both in its attention to detail and in its vibrancy. It has brought her considerable success and international recognition.

In 2006, Jean was chosen by the South African Government to craft a larger-than-lifesize bronze statue of Nelson Mandela to commemorate his release from prison and his “Long Walk to Freedom”. She was then honoured to be joined by Mandela himself in August 2008 at the unveiling outside the Groot Drakenstein Prison in Paarl, South Africa. Towering and powerful, this lasting tribute to a remarkable man took Jean and her team over three months to create from design to casting and finishing. Thousands of tourists visit this statue annually and it has become one of the most photographed in Africa. In September 2013 an exact replica was unveiled in Washington D.C., the first statue of Mandela in the United States.

Earlier in 2013, Jean was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award as one of South Africa’s most influential women in art. And in 2018, the first-ever anthology of her life and work, “Jean Doyle, A Portrait” by Grace Powell was published by Quivertree Publications. Her work continues to achieve international attention and her output remains as creative, prolific and stunning as ever!