Melvin Edwards, pioneer of Black abstraction, 1937–2026

Melvin Edwards, a pioneering sculptor known for his steel assemblages that explored Black history and experience, has died. He was the first African-American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in 1970. His signature series, Lynch Fragments, began in the 1960s as a response to the civil rights movement and evolved over his lifetime to incorporate references to the Vietnam War and African cultural practices.

Painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer dies at 46.

The American painter Celeste Dupuy-Spencer has passed away at the age of 46 at her home in Los Angeles. Her gallery, Jeffrey Deitch, confirmed the news of her death but did not specify a cause. The announcement comes just weeks before a scheduled solo exhibition of her recent work, which is still set to open at the gallery’s Los Angeles location on April 17.

Tess Jaray obituary

Tess Jaray, an Austrian-born British abstract painter known for her geometric, architectural-inspired works, has died at age 88. The article traces her artistic journey from a transformative trip to Italy in 1960, where she was deeply moved by Renaissance architecture, to her development of abstract paintings that evoked space and movement. It highlights key moments in her career, including a mural for the British Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal and a solo show at the Serpentine Gallery in 1988, as well as her Jewish family's escape from Nazi-occupied Austria and her upbringing in rural Worcestershire.

lucia di luciano painter dead

Lucia Di Luciano, an Italian painter associated with the 1960s Arte Programmata movement, has died at age 93. Her death was announced by her Milan gallery, 10 A.M. Art, without specifying a cause. Di Luciano was known for her hand-painted, gridded black-and-white abstractions that mimicked computer-generated patterns, made with house paint and acrylic. Despite painting for nearly eight decades, she only gained wider international recognition in 2022 when her work was included in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale, curated by Cecilia Alemani. Her career saw a late surge, with appearances at Tate Modern's "Electric Dreams" exhibition, art fairs like Frieze Masters and Independent 20th Century, and a solo show at Herald St. in London. The Maxxi museum in Rome is organizing a retrospective set to open in 2027.

Tess Jaray, painter and teacher inspired by architecture, 1937–2026

Tess Jaray, the British painter known for geometric abstract works and architectural public commissions, has died at age 88. Born in Vienna in 1937, she studied at the Slade School of Art under Ernst Gombrich and became the school's first female teacher in 1968, running its postgraduate course for nearly three decades. Her hard-edge paintings, inspired by Renaissance architecture, evolved into public artworks such as the terrazzo floor at London Victoria station, the stone floor at St Mary's Church in Nottingham, and the forecourt of the British Embassy in Moscow. Major exhibitions included a 2024 retrospective at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield and a 2021 solo show at Secession in Vienna.

art agosto machado obituary whitney

Agosto Machado, a legendary downtown New York artist, archivist, and activist, died on March 21, 2026, at an estimated age in his 80s. The article recounts his life through a personal tribute, describing a drag performance in Chicago honoring him, and details his decades-long career as a street queen, Warhol-era fixture, and participant in the Stonewall uprising and first Gay Liberation March. Machado performed in Off-Off-Broadway plays, created solo shows, and amassed an extensive archive of ephemera, art, and photographs of his friends and community.

Renowned gallerist Marian Goodman has died, aged 97

Marian Goodman, the renowned contemporary art dealer, died on 22 January at the age of 97. Her eponymous gallery confirmed she passed peacefully of natural causes. Over a 60-year career, Goodman built a reputation for representing challenging, conceptually ambitious artists, including Gerhard Richter, Nan Goldin, Anselm Kiefer, Julie Mehretu, William Kentridge, and Nairy Baghramian. She opened her first gallery in New York in 1977 and later expanded to Paris and London, before closing the London space in 2020. In her final decade, the gallery saw high-profile departures but also added new artists and opened a Los Angeles location in 2023 and a new Tribeca space in 2024. A succession plan was announced in 2021, and the gallery is now led by partners Emily-Jane Kirwan, Rose Lord, Leslie Nolen, and Junette Teng.

È morto Paolo Masi. La lunga ricerca dell’artista fiorentino sulla trasformazione dei materiali poveri

Paolo Masi, the Florentine artist known for his lifelong exploration of poor materials and their transformation, died in Florence on Wednesday, May 6, just days before his 93rd birthday. His career spanned from informal experiments in the 1950s through a rigorous investigation of materials in the 1960s, including his first solo show at the Strozzina in 1960. He joined the aesthetic research group Centro F/Uno alongside Baldi, Lecci, and Nannucci, and later co-founded the collective spaces Zona (1974) and Base (1998) with Mario Mariotti and Maurizio Nannucci. Masi participated in the Venice Biennale (1978) and the Rome Quadriennale (1986), and his works are held by major museums and foundations internationally. His later years saw significant retrospectives at the Museo MAGA in Gallarate (2018) and at Le Murate in Florence (2018), as well as a 2023 solo show at Florence's Galleria Frittelli, which remembered him as an extraordinary artist and dear friend.

lumin wakoa painter dead

Lumin Wakoa, a rising painter known for her hazy, memory-based works that blurred abstraction and figuration, has died at 43 after battling brain cancer. Her death was announced by her gallery, Harper’s, on Monday. Wakoa had solo shows last year at Various Small Fires in Seoul and Harper’s in New York, and her work was featured at Frieze art fair. She studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the University of Florida, and earned an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.

sarah cunningham death accidental inquest

A new inquest has determined that the death of British abstract painter Sarah Cunningham at age 31 last year was accidental. Cunningham, represented by Lisson Gallery, went missing after a night out in London on November 2, 2023, and was later found dead on the tracks at Chalk Farm Underground Station. The Poplar Coroner's Court concluded on April 9 that although she jumped onto the track, she did not intend to take her own life, noting she was intoxicated at the time. Her body was discovered after a train struck her 18 minutes later.

In Memoriam: Melvin Edwards (1937–2026)

Renowned sculptor Melvin Edwards, a pioneer of the Black Art Movement who transformed welded steel into powerful explorations of African American identity, has passed away at the age of 88. Edwards was best known for his "Lynch Fragments," a series of over 300 compact, wall-mounted assemblages that utilized industrial materials like chains, meathooks, and barbed wire to evoke the history of racial violence and the struggle for civil rights. His career spanned over six decades, beginning with a breakout solo show at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1965 and a landmark exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1970.

Margareta Magnusson obituary

Margareta Magnusson, the Swedish author and artist who popularized the concept of 'death cleaning' (döstädning), has died at age 92. In her 80s, she wrote the international bestseller 'The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning,' which advocated for the mindful decluttering of one's belongings to spare loved ones the burden after one's death.

The great artist Remo Salvadori has died. He was 79 years old

È morto il grande artista Remo Salvadori. Aveva 79 anni

Italian artist Remo Salvadori has died at age 79. Known for his rigorous, independent practice, Salvadori explored matter, energy, science, philosophy, and spirituality through sculpture, installations, and site-specific works. Born in Cerreto Guidi, he studied at the Accademia delle Belle Arti di Firenze and moved to Milan in the early 1970s, where he participated in the experimental scene without joining any movement. His career included solo shows in Milan galleries from 1971, appearances at the Venice Biennale (1982, 1986, 1993) and Documenta in Kassel (1982, 1992), and works held in major museums worldwide. In 2019 he received the Premio Presidente della Repubblica for sculpture. A major retrospective in 2025 at Palazzo Reale, Museo del Novecento, and San Gottardo in Corte in Milan showcased over 50 works from 1969 to 2025.

Patrick Mukabi: Inside the life and legacy of artist who nurtured a movement

Legendary Kenyan painter Patrick Mukabi, known as Panye, has died at age 56 after an illness. Born in Nairobi in 1969, he studied graphic design at the Technical University of Kenya before dedicating himself to fine art. His bold, colorful works were displayed at venues like Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Java House outlets, and in over 20 countries. He developed the Cover Girls series celebrating curvy women and worked at major art spaces including the Nairobi National Museum, Kuona Artists Collective, GoDown Arts Centre, and the Railway Museum. At Dust Depo Studio, he mentored many young artists, teaching them both technique and the business of art. His protégé Jimmy Kitheka recalls Mukabi's warmth and discipline, and how the studio became a creative hub. Even during his illness, the art community rallied to support him through benefit exhibitions like the Patrick Mukabi Medical Fund Benefit Art Exhibition in April 2026 and a solo show at Banana Hill Art Gallery.