Long-term ACAVA artist and activist Marisa Rueda died in March 2022 at 80 at her home in London.

Marisa was a central figure in the early years of ACAVA and was part of many of our studio communities in West London since the 70s.

Her daughter Cristina Chaplin-Rueda remembers growing up “firstly in the studio under the Westway, in Thorpe Close, and then in Blechynden. I have very fond memories of doing art with Mum at her studios, visiting other ACAVA studios (like Faroe Road and Hetley Road) and going to many events”.

Most recently, in 2019, we worked with Marisa on the project at Tate Modern Age/ncy: Art, Ageing and Transition with Flourishing Lives, an intergenerational arts exchange to dispel stereotypes of ageing and older people.

Marisa was a valuable and much-missed member of the ACAVA community.

Katie Cuddon wrote in Marisa’s obituary on Third Text “It is said an artist’s character can be found first within their work, and by all accounts, boldness and energy were in abundance in Rueda herself, too, as well as in her work”.

Read the full obituary on Third Text to learn more about her fascinating life and career, and visit Marisa’s website here.