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.
Jaray's career matters because she bridged the gap between abstract painting and public architecture, bringing geometric modernism into everyday urban spaces. As the first woman to teach at the Slade, she also helped shape generations of British artists. Her work, spanning six decades, demonstrates how rigorous formal abstraction can engage with the built environment, influencing both fine art and public design.