LEWIS MORLAND
1920-1989
ARTIST
In 1957 Lewis Morland was headhunted from his prestigious job as Art Editor of The Sunday Pictorial newspaper, later to become The Sunday Mirror. He became part of a small team recruited from London’s Fleet Street, to help develop the nascent print industry in Bahrain. At that time every piece of paper used in the administration of the Bahrain Petroleum Company BAPCO, was imported from its parent company California Texas Oil Company, CALTEX.
On arrival in January 1958, Lewis fell in love with the scenery, the people, the light and the jewel-like colours of the sea. Thus began a three decade long devotion to a country he considered his home for the rest of his life.
Lewis’ prolific output covered the broadest range of artistic and design genres. It is testament to the life of one of the most significant contributors, in his field, to the development of Bahrain during the latter part of the 20th century.
The Decades 1957 - 1961
During Lewis’ five years as BAPCO’s Resident Artist, perhaps the most prestigious commission was his portrait of HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa,
then the Hakim or ruler of Bahrain. This full length, life-size oil painting is the only known time that HH Shaikh Salman was painted during his lifetime. For many years it hung in tribute, at Ghudaibia Palace, opposite Lewis’ later official portrait of HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, who succeeded his father in 1961.
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Another notable work from this early period is the 1960 BAPCO Calendar. The first of its kind produced in the region. For this Lewis painted 11 beautiful watercolours depicting the Crafts of Bahrain. These illustrations were portraits of actual artisans working at the time. The 12th painting for the month of December, shows a young Bahraini
trainee recruit.
Particularly at a time when the only other major industry, pearl fishing, was in sharp decline, it is interesting to note that the Pearl Jeweller is accorded the honour of illustrating ‘January’. A nod to the economic importance of the pearl industry at the time.
With his 13 years of commercial graphic design experience in Fleet Street, Lewis worked on the design and production of all printed material produced for BAPCO at this time. Much of which was printed at the only printing plant on the Island, the Oriental Press. Lewis worked closely with owner Mr Essa Al Zeera, and staff, helping strengthen BAPCO’s commitment to the development and growth of local businesses.
The success of this collaboration can be seen in the production of the 1960 BAPCO Annual Report, designed and printed for the first time in Bahrain.
Later that year The BAPCO Story, a glossy, full colour 42-page promotional publication (pictured right) was also designed by Lewis and printed at the Oriental Press.
He regularly produced special edition front covers for Bahrain’s first ever newspaper The Islander. Pearl, whose name reflected the importance of the pearl industry, was the title character of the popular weekly cartoon Lewis drew for The Islander.
The expatriate community at the time was concentrated in Awali, the town purpose-built to house the mostly American and British expatriate workforce of BAPCO. And as Bahrain’s only artist, Lewis soon found himself involved in a broad range of community projects.
In December 1958 Lewis painted a monumental Christmas Scene and giant Santa Claus, to decorate the front of the Awali Recreational Club and Bowling Alley.
Lewis Morland Art
Proudly curated by the Morland and Richards family.
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