Mary Fedden OBE, RA, RWA

(1915-2012)

Mary Fedden was a British painter best known for still lifes and landscapes that combine bold colour, simplified forms, and a strong sense of decorative composition. Her work is immediately recognisable for its clarity, balance, and quiet lyricism, often depicting everyday objects, interiors, and views from her home. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and developed a distinctive style influenced by artists such as Matisse and Braque, balancing modernist structure with a personal, intimate approach to subject matter. Her paintings frequently juxtapose interior and exterior spaces, creating a sense of calm, ordered reflection. Alongside painting, Fedden worked in printmaking, producing lithographs that translate her characteristic colour relationships and compositional clarity into graphic form. She exhibited widely throughout her career and was elected a Royal Academician in 1992. Her work is held in major public collections, including Tate, and remains widely admired for its accessibility and formal strength.