Painter and draughtsman Gerald Ososki was born to Russian-Jewish parents in East London, England in 1903; his father was a tailor. He took night classes at St Martin’s School of Art (1917-22) before his drawings were noticed by Sir William Rothenstein, who facilitated his admission into the Royal College of Art on a scholarship, where he taught him between 1922 and 1926, alongside fellow student Barnett Freedman. While still a student Ososki was engaged by architect Lord Gerald Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington) to carry out interior decorations. He became well-known for his sepia-toned portraits and watercolours, particularly of Hampstead Heath, and had his first solo exhibition at the Claridge Gallery in London in 1929. In the same year he painted a portrait of Viscount Haldane of Cloan, President (1919-1928), now in the Birkbeck collection.
During the 1930s' economic slump, unable to support himself solely by his art, Ososki established Roffe Ltd, specialising in interior decoration for theatres and cinemas. After working in the British camouflage unit during the Second World War, Ososki redirected Roffe Ltd to restoring several historic English buildings including St James’ Palace, Clarence House, and Marlborough House. At the latter he helped uncover previously lost 18th-century murals by Louis Laguerre. He also taught part-time at the Bow and Bromley Institute, where his pupils included Harold Steggles (1911-1971).
Ososki exhibited at the Royal Academy throughout the 1950s and 1960s, was part of the Tate Gallery’s ‘Seventeen Collectors Exhibition’ (1952), and participated in exhibitions of Contemporary Jewish Artists in 1952, 1954, and 1956 at Ben Uri Gallery. He exhibited regularly in London at the Goupil Gallery, the Leicester Galleries, The Mall galleries, the New English Art Club (NEAC), the Redfern Gallery and the Royal Society of British Artists, as well as in the USA, Canada and Australia. In 1972 he was awarded the De Laszlo Medal, resulting in a prestigious solo exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London the following year. At the age of 75 he won the Laing Art Competition, reigniting his late career.
Gerald Ososki died in Hampstead, London, England in 1981. Retrospective exhibitions of his work were held at the Hallam Gallery (1981), the Alpine Gallery (1983), where his work was shown alongside peers including William Rothenstein, Barnett Freedman, Mark Gertler, David Bomberg, Jacob Kramer and Bernard Meninksy, and a further retrospective was held at Ben Uri Gallery in 1987. Ososki's work is represented in UK collections including the Ben Uri Collection, Birkbeck, University of London and Braintree District Museum.
