HODES, Joan

1925 - 2022

As Joan Zena Blairman, she was born in Hampstead, London in 1925, second daughter of Philip Blairman (21 July 1896-27 March 1972), an antique and art dealer, and his wife Celia née Gordon (24 November 1897-28 August 1994), who married at Leeds in 1921. Joan was educated at Gloddaeth School in North Wales and in August 1940, her father Philip, a 44 year old art dealer of 28 New Bond Street, London, sailed for New York to be followed later the same year by wife Celia, a 42 year old housewife of 72 Mostyn Street, Llandudno, together with their children Wendy 17, Joan 15, Jaqueline 13 and John 6, who sailed on the Cunard White Star Line 'Eastern Prince' for New York. Joan studied under Franklin White (1892-1975) at Slade School of Fine Art, 1945–1948, then was a pupil of Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) during which time Joan visited Paris for a year 1948-1949, with studies at Académie Julian and Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Joan married at Paddington, London in 1951, Dr. Charles Hodes (1924-13 August 1987), M.D., they had three children Deborah 1953, Matthew 1955, and Charlotte 1959, who is also an artist. As Joan Hodes, a figure and landscape painter and draughtsman, she completed landscapes over a wide area of Britain including Suffolk, Ireland, and continental Europe. A past member of the Suffolk Group of Artists and Stone Eye Group and exhibited at the Contemporary Portrait Society, Leicester, and Mercury Galleries and at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. She also had solo exhibitions at Foyer Gallery, 1962 and 1971, later ones including Boundary Gallery, 1994, John Russell Gallery, Ipswich, 2000 and 2005, and Highgate Fine Art, 2003 and 2005. The Victoria & Albert Museum holds her work. Joan Zena Hodes died on 15 February 2022, aged 96.

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Works by This Artist