ARTIST BIOGRAPHY - MARY FEDDEN OBE RA LG
Mary Fedden was one of Britain's finest and best loved contemporary artists. She was born on 14th August 1915 in Bristol and was married to the artist Julian Trevelyan. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, London from 1932 to 1936. She went on to teach Painting at the Royal College of Art from 1958 to 1964 where she was the first woman tutor to teach in the Painting School. Her pupils included David Hockney and Allen Jones. Fedden has exhibited in solo shows throughout the UK every year since 1947. Mary Fedden also received many mural commissions, notably the Festival of Britain (1951), the P & O Liner Canberra (1961), Charing Cross Hospital (1980) and Colindale Hospital in 1985. Mary Fedden was President of the Royal West of England Academy from 1984 to 1988 and was elected a Royal Academician in the Senior Order in 1992. She received an OBE and a Doctor of Literature, Bath University in the 1990s.
Her work hangs in many private collections including HM The Queen for Windsor Castle, Prince Hassan of Jordan, the Tate Gallery, Bristol City Art Gallery and The Royal Academy. In 1997 she won the prestigious Mother Goose Award for Children's Book Illustrations. She married the artist, Julian Trevelyan in 1951, he died in 1988. Mary Fedden lived and worked in London, her subjects are executed in a bold, expressive style with vivid and contrasting colours.
Mary Fedden died on 22nd June 2012 aged 96.
Biographical Chronology
1915 Born in Bristol on 14th August
1932 Commenced studies at the Slade School of Art, London, where she was inspired by her
tutor, Vladimir Polunin and met Julian Trevelyan for the first time
1936 Graduated from Slade School of Art, London and returned to her native Bristol to teach
1939-44 Moved to London and joined the Land Army and the Women's Voluntary Service
1944 Called up and sent to Europe as a driver for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
1946 Returned to London, buying a house in Redcliffe Road with Maise Meiklejohn
1947 First one-woman exhibition at the Mansard Gallery in Heal's Department Store, which led
to a three year commission to paint the covers of Woman magazine
1949 Travelled through Europe with the artist Julian Trevelyan. On their return to London they
settled together in Trevelyan's home and studio by the Thames at Durham Wharf, Chiswick
1951 Married Julian Trevelyan
Painted a mural for the children's section in the Television pavilion on the South Bank at
the Festival of Britain
1958-64 Taught at the Royal College of Art, London where she was the first female tutor in the
Painting School, her pupils including David Hockney, Allen Jones and Patrick
Caulfield
1961 Commissioned to paint a mural for the P&O liner Canberra
1965-70 Taught at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Surrey
1980 Painted mural for Charing Cross Hospital with Julian Trevelyan
1984-88 President of Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
1985 Painted a mural for Colindale Hospital
1988 Death of Julian Trevelyan
1992 Elected Royal Academician in the Senior Order
1995 Publication of Mary Fedden written by Mel Gooding
1996 Received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from the University of Bath
1997 Awarded OBE
2007 Publication of Mary Fedden. Enigmas and Variations by Christopher Andreae
2012 Died in Chiswick on 22nd June