Artist Database

Laurence Anthony Chait is both a renowned plastic surgeon and a passionate artist. He qualified as a surgeon in 1973, specialising in cleft lip and palate surgery. His fascination with both art and anatomy began early-inspired at the age of nine when he created a plastic model of an elephant, sparking a lifelong interest in sculpture and surgical precision.

Chait's artistic journey formally began during his medical internship in 1969, when he started experimenting with sculpture. He credits his artistic sensibility to his father, a general practitioner and dedicated painter.

He first exhibited his work in 1975 and went on to gain recognition for his ability to breathe life into iconic characters, including animated representations of Jock of the Bushveld. His sculptures have been commissioned and displayed at the University of the Witwatersrand, amongst other institutions and corporations, and his life and work is documented in the book The Sculpture of Dr Laurence Anthony Chait: An Autobiographical Journey.