“I look to construct paintings that offer a space for reflection… Slow to make and slow to look at. Slow to unravel or ‘unconceal’… Layers become suspended in the illusion of geometry.”
- Vanessa Jackson
Vanessa Jackson RA (b. 1953) is a leading figure in British abstraction, celebrated for her bold, spatially immersive compositions that traverse painting, installation, and wall work. Her practice is grounded in a deep investigation of geometry, rhythm, and the physical experience of space—often pushing beyond the frame to activate architecture itself.
Educated at Saint Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art, Jackson emerged in the 1970s as part of a generation redefining abstract painting in Britain. Her work draws from a lineage of Constructivism and Hard-edge painting, yet asserts a distinctive, playful energy rooted in formal clarity and optical dynamism.
Jackson has held key academic positions, including Head of Painting at the Royal College of Art and Senior Tutor at the Royal Academy Schools. Elected a Royal Academician in 2015, her work is represented in numerous public and private collections, and continues to influence generations of contemporary painters.