Bernard Cohen Enter a
feeling, not
a gallery.
Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.
Bernard Cohen
A Life in Abstraction: The World of Bernard Cohen Bernard Cohen, born in London in 1933 to a family steeped in Russian and Polish Jewish heritage, stands as a pivotal figure in the landscape of British abstract art. His journey, spanning decades, is not merely a chronicle of artistic evolution but a testament to the power of storytelling through pure form and color. From his early studies at South West Essex Technical College, followed
by formative years at St Martin’s School of Art (1950-51) and then the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art (1951-54), Cohen embarked on a path that would see him become one of Britain's most influential abstract painters. The seeds of his artistic exploration were sown during this period, nurtured by rigorous training and an emerging fascination with the possibilities beyond representational art. Crucially, scholarships awarded in 19…