In Memoriam is published every Wednesday afternoon and pays tribute to members of the art world we have recently lost.
Geles Cabrera (1926–2026), the Mexican sculptor who explored the expressiveness of the human body, worked at a moment when muralism dominated Mexican art. She moved with ease between figuration and abstraction, and between gesture and sensuality. In 1966, she founded Museo Escultórico, an exhibition space in Coyoacán, where she presented her work for decades. In 2024, she was awarded the Bellas Artes Medal in Visual Arts, Mexico’s highest artistic honor.
Helch (c. 1991–2026), the anonymous British street artist, was known for painting his tag, “HELCH,” across public infrastructure in London. He drew widespread attention after tagging a railway viaduct visible from Windsor Castle, the royal residence, an act that famously upset Queen Elizabeth.
Yayoi Kusama (1929–2026), the Japanese artist who channeled infinity, translated hallucinations and other psychological phenomena into kaleidoscopic, polka-dotted paintings and sculptures that captivated millions worldwide. Her influence can be traced through major art historical developments, from Minimalism and Pop Art to experiential art. In recent years, revelations about racist comments she made in her 2002 autobiography have marred her reputation.
Christina Gascoigne (1939–2026), the British ceramicist, photographer, and philanthropist, made and sold ceramics from a studio on the Thames, and her photography appeared in several television series, including one on British castles. In 2014, she and her husband, the author and television presenter Bamber Gascoigne, converted a home they inherited into the 700-seat Grange Park Opera in West Horsley, England. Jay Maisel (1931–2026), the photographer who reshaped commercial photography, had a seven-decade career spanning magazines, advertising, and cultural institutions and is perhaps best known for the cover of Miles Davis’s 1959 album Kind of Blue. He was honored by the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, the American Society of Media Photographers, and the International Center of Photography.
Laura Spector (1954–2026), the artist of invasive species, used Asian bittersweet as her medium to create artworks, furniture, lighting, and more, including pieces for Joan Baez and Sting. More recently, she turned to Photoshop collages in her Identity Series, which featured a recurring red-haired figure she referred to as “Laura dolls.” David Thauberger (1948–2026), the Canadian painter and sculptor, helped shape how the art world viewed Saskatchewan through paintings of the province’s modernist and brutalist buildings. He was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2008, received the Lieutenant Governor’s Saskatchewan Artist Award the following year, and was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2012. Ally Van Tillo (d. 2026), the founder of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt, drew inspiration from the American Names Project Memorial Quilt to coordinate a version made by grieving friends, lovers, and families, honoring more than 600 people lost to the disease. This month, the quilt will be shown in full at Tramway, Glasgow.
