The art world mourns the passing of Minne Fry, an acclaimed abstract artist whose creative journey spanned more than six decades, until her death at age 91. Emerging in London's vibrant 1960s art scene, Fry developed a distinctive visual language that captured both critical attention and collector interest throughout her long and varied career.
Early Success and Critical Acclaim
Minne Fry first gained recognition through the New Vision Gallery in Marble Arch, where director Denis Bowen championed expressive artists seeking to counter prevailing negative attitudes toward abstract art. Prominent critic Eric Newton specifically praised Fry's work, and in 1965 he purchased her painting 'Monochrome 1' specifically to donate it to the prestigious Contemporary Art Society in London.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Dr Jack Zidel and artist Ray Zidel (née Feldman), Fry studied English at Witwatersrand University before moving to London after marrying childhood correspondent Lionel Fry in 1955, when both were 21. She subsequently studied at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and immersed herself in London's artistic community.
Teaching Career and Artistic Return
Like many women artists of her generation, Fry placed her burgeoning career on hold to raise her three children and teach. Until 1974, she primarily worked as an English and art supply teacher across primary schools in south-east London. However, in her mid-40s she resumed her artistic practice, embarking on a remarkable second chapter that would span another four decades.
During her comeback in the 1980s, Fry expanded her skills through printmaking studies at Morley College in London. This diversification proved fruitful when, in 2008, Daily Telegraph art critic David Cheal selected her etching 'Winter Evening' as one of his top five picks at that year's Royal Academy summer exhibition. Cheal remarked that if he owned the work, he would "never stop looking at it, never tire of peering into its mysterious glowing depths."
Sustained Recognition and Legacy
Throughout her career, Fry maintained impressive exhibition credentials, including 16 solo shows across London, Paris, and Johannesburg, alongside participation in more than 100 group exhibitions worldwide. She exhibited regularly with the National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers, receiving their painting prize in 2017, and with the Morley Printmakers, where she earned the etching award in 2018.
Even as her eyesight declined in her late 80s, Fry's passion for colour and the natural world continued to inform her work. Her artistic approach used nature as inspiration while avoiding literal representation, instead conveying her emotional responses to the environment.
Minne Fry was predeceased by her husband Lionel, a professor of dermatology who died in 2021. She is survived by their children Michael, Tessa, and Kathy, and grandchildren Zack and Daisy, leaving behind an artistic legacy that reflects both her South African roots and her significant contributions to British abstract art.
