Mary fedden OBE RA RWA
Mary Fedden (English, 1915-2012) began her formal art training at the age of 16, at the Slade School of Arts in London. Following her studies, she began teaching, painting portraits, and creating stage designs for Sadler's Wells Theatre. Upon returning to her home town of Bristol, the Second World War broke out and Fedden served in the Women's Land Army and Women's Voluntary Service, alongside painting murals for the war effort. After the war, Fedden began developing her own style, predominantly painting flowers and still lifes, echoing the work of Braque and Matisse. In an interview, she claimed to have many influences, and stated that she had been fascinated by the work of Ben Nicholsons, Anne Redpath, and Henri Hayden.
Fedden typically painted her subjects in bold and expressive styles, and would create contrast in her work using various different colours, and by positioning her still lives in front of landscapes. During the period of 1947 until her death in 2012, Fedden's work was presented each year in solo artist exhibitions across the UK.
