Denyse Thomasos, Trinidad-Born Painter of Abstract Grids, Dies at 47
Denyse Thomasos, a distinguished Trinidadian-Canadian artist, passed away on July 19, 2012, at the age of 47 following an allergic reaction during medical treatment. After relocating to Canada at six, she pursued an art education, achieving a BA from the University of Toronto in 1987 and an MFA from Yale University in 1989. Thomasos settled in New York, where she taught at Tyler School of Art and later joined Rutgers as an assistant professor in 1995. Celebrated for her thought-provoking acrylic works, her art addressed themes of social inequality and appeared in major galleries and esteemed publications. She is survived by her husband and daughter.
Key facts
- Denyse Thomasos died July 19, 2012, at age 47 from an allergic reaction during a medical procedure.
- She was born in Trinidad and moved to Canada at age 6.
- She earned a BA from University of Toronto (1987) and an MFA from Yale (1989).
- She taught at Tyler School of Art and became Assistant Professor at Rutgers in 1995.
- Her abstract paintings feature layered acrylic strokes and architectural grid structures.
- Her work addresses themes of constraint, inspired by studies of prisons and slums.
- She had over 15 solo exhibitions, represented by Olga Korper Gallery and Lennon Weinberg Gallery.
- Her work is in the collections of the Art Gallery of Ontario and National Gallery of Canada.
Entities
Artists
- Denyse Thomasos
Institutions
- University of Toronto
- Yale University
- Tyler School of Art
- Rutgers University
- Olga Korper Gallery
- Lennon Weinberg Gallery
- Canada Council
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Pew Fellowships
- Joan Mitchell Foundation
- Guggenheim Foundation
- Yaddo
- Art Gallery of Ontario
- National Gallery of Canada
- The New York Times
- The New Yorker
- Artforum
- Art in America
- Village Voice
Locations
- Trinidad
- Canada
- Toronto
- New York
- Philadelphia
- Ottawa