Background
Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he completed his formal education and his art studies.
Bain was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he completed his formal education and his art studies.
In 1937 he and his family moved to South Africa, where he took up a post as senior lecturer at the Portuguese Elizabeth School of Art, leaving temporarily to serve in the army in North Africa and Italy from 1939–1944. Bain went on to become Head of the Johannesburg School of Art, the pre-eminent Art School in South Africa, holding the post for 15 years. A 12 ft modern concrete Christ in port Elizabeth.
A twice life-size Bust of King George VI whom he sketched on the Royal Tour of South Africa.
A statue titled “Lobola” (the African purchase of a bride) which was presented to General J. Smuts. The Anton Van Wouw Foundation commissioned him to do the complete restoration of all the Von Wouw plaster statues (the Hunting Bushman, the scout etc)
South African Airways commissioned him to do a new emblem for them.
He did a large modern Flying Springbok in gold anodised aluminium. presentation plaques for the South African Agricultural Society. The Johannesburg tercentenary medallion was another of his designs
One of the larger works a modern “Saint Andrew” in concrete (approx 8 ft high) is housed at Saint Andrews Girls School in Johannesburg.
A still larger work titled “Growth and Security” (12 ft high in reconstructed Stone) was commissioned by an insurance company in the then Salisbury Rhodesia.