Sir Paul McCartney has paid tribute to his "dear friend" and "incredible" artist Sir Brian Clarke following his death at the age of 71. The renowned stained glass artist, who designed the cover for McCartney's 1982 solo album Tug Of War, was remembered as the "most important artist working in stained glass" by London's Heni gallery.
Sir Brian was best known for his monumental works including the Al Faisaliyah Centre in Riyadh, the Royal Mosque of King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, and the 14-metre-high stained glass pavilion, The Stamford Cone in Connecticut. He painted his first window at just 17 years old, launching a career that would span five decades.
McCartney remembers cherished friendship
The former Beatles star shared heartfelt memories on Instagram, describing Sir Brian as "a dear friend of our family whom we had known for years". McCartney recalled how they "always laughed" during their time together and praised the artist's constant enthusiasm for sharing his latest creative projects.
"Brian often had some great artistic endeavours to show or talk to us about," McCartney wrote. "He made some stained glass windows for us and did a great collaboration with Linda using her photographs to make stained glass pictures out of."
International recognition and major works
Sir Brian's impressive portfolio included commissions for Bahrain Airport's Concordia installation, Stansted Airport in collaboration with Sir Norman Foster, and Queen Victoria Street Arcade in Leeds. His work extended beyond commercial projects to deeply meaningful commemorative pieces.
The artist created stained glass for the Holocaust Memorial Synagogue in Darmstadt, Germany, and designed artwork for the Papal Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in London during Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 state visit to the United Kingdom. McCartney fondly remembered meeting Sir Brian in the 1970s through art dealer Robert Fraser.
Working-class roots to knighthood
Born in Oldham, Lancashire, into a working-class family, Sir Brian's father Edward worked as a miner while his mother Lilian was employed at the local cotton mill. His remarkable journey from these humble beginnings to international acclaim culminated in his knighthood in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Speaking to PA at the time of his knighthood, Sir Brian said: "I'm feeling very surprised and grateful really. It's wonderful to get noticed for one's work, but to get honoured for it too is really very encouraging."
Heni gallery announced his death on Saturday with a statement reading: "A visionary artist and cherished friend, he will be missed." TV presenter and pianist Jools Holland also paid tribute, describing Sir Brian as an "extraordinary and dear man" on Instagram.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
