Landscape painter, designer, illustrator and photographer, Arthur Campbell spent his first nine years in Dublin and Arklow, Co.Wicklow. Brother to George and son to Gretta Bowen, Arthur went to night classes at Belfast College of Art. In 1925-45 he was a printing and advertisement designer with W. & G.Baird Ltd., Belfast. He produced two books of photographs ‘Return Journey’. In 1939 he exhibited for the first time at the Royal Hibernian Academy and continued to exhibit there for the next th
ree decades.
A good organizer like his brother George, they produced ‘Now in Ulster’ containing short stories, articles, verse and illustrations. He also organized the publication of ’Ulster in Black and White’ featuring the work of the Campbell brothers, Maurice C.Wilks and Patricia Webb in 1943. Living in Oakley Road, Ranelagh in the late 1940’s, he continued to exhibit at the RHA and his photographs appeared regularly in photographic journals. In 1949 he worked in an advertising agency in Manchester as a visualiser, and took night classes at Stockport Art School.
He held his first one man show, sponsored by CEMA in 1950 at 55a Donegall Place, Belfast. In 1984 The Arts Council of Northern Ireland hosted an exhibition of Campbell’s watercolours and photographs from 1935. In 1986 he was appointed an associate of the Royal Ulster Academy. He died peacefully at his home 20th March 1994.
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