The world of design education and broadcasting is mourning the loss of Professor Peter Lloyd-Jones, a visionary who seamlessly blended scientific rigour with artistic passion. He has died at the age of 92.
From Chemistry Labs to the Slade: Forging a Unique Path
Born in Farnham, Surrey, to Nellie and Howell Lloyd-Jones, Peter's early life was shaped by the Second World War. Evacuated to Cornwall with his sister Margaret, he later lost his father during the conflict. Despite studying chemistry at Imperial College London and securing a doctorate from King's College, Cambridge in 1959, a growing discontent led him to follow his true calling.
He funded his place at the prestigious Slade School of Art through a research post at the Courtauld Institute, investigating the science behind conserving Old Master paintings. This unique fusion of disciplines became his hallmark. In 1960, he met ceramicist Jenifer Lawson Barnes, and they married in 1963, going on to have two daughters, Myfanwy and the author of his obituary.
Architect of Prestigious Design Education
Peter Lloyd-Jones's professional legacy is monumental. In the 1960s, he established a groundbreaking department focusing on artists' materials technology at Wimbledon School of Art. His most significant impact came in 1972, when he was appointed head of the School of Three-Dimensional Design at Kingston Polytechnic, now Kingston University.
Under his leadership, Kingston grew into one of the UK's most respected design centres, its prestige cemented by a 1984 exhibition at the V&A Museum. Never one to stand still, he later founded the UK's first postgraduate course in design for film and television at Kingston. His influence extended internationally through a 14-year advisory role at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki.
A Public Voice for Design and a Private Creative Life
Lloyd-Jones was also a familiar voice to the British public. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he appeared on numerous radio and television programmes discussing design and popular taste, including An Englishman's Home on BBC Radio 3 and Design Matters on Channel 4.
His expertise was captured in his 1991 book, Taste Today, which won the International Robert Maxwell Prize for New Writing on Design Thinking. He maintained a parallel career as a practising painter, participating in group shows, holding three solo exhibitions, and completing decorative work for architectural projects. Upon his retirement in 1993, he was rightly appointed emeritus professor.
In later life, after moving to Cornwall, he continued to paint and discovered a new passion for writing poetry. He is remembered as a loyal friend who cherished dinner table conversation and laughter. Peter Lloyd-Jones is survived by his wife Jenifer, his daughters, his sister Margaret, and two grandchildren, Rhiannon and Benedict.
