Sandra Blow RA (1925 - 2006)

Sandra Blow RA (1925–2006) was a leading figure in post-war British abstract art, renowned for her bold, gestural compositions and innovative use of unconventional materials, including sand, hessian, and ash. Born in London, she studied at Saint Martin’s School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools before travelling to Italy in 1947, where she met the artist Alberto Burri. His experimental use of materials had a lasting influence on her work. Upon returning to England, Blow became part of the avant-garde art scene, exhibiting with the Gimpel Fils gallery and helping to bring abstraction into the British mainstream during the 1950s and 1960s.

Throughout her career, Blow's work remained rooted in an exploration of texture, space, and color. In the 1990s, she relocated to Cornwall, where her paintings took on a brighter palette and reflected the coastal landscape’s light and vitality. Elected a Royal Academician in 1978, she also taught at the Royal College of Art, mentoring future generations of artists, including David Hockney and Stoke-on-Trent's own abstract painter Enos Lovatt. Sandra Blow continued to paint actively until her death in 2006, and her works are held in major collections, including Tate, reflecting her enduring impact on British art.