Thaddeus Mosley, master of abstract form, passes away at 99

Thaddeus Mosley passed away March 6, 2026, at 99 years old. Over the course of seven decades, the artist made soaring abstract sculptures in wood and bronze. While maintaining a daily studio practice, for much of his life Mosley worked for the United States Postal Service in tandem with teaching and raising a family in his home of Pittsburgh. In addition to his monumental impact on the legacy of sculpture, Mosley will be remembered for his contributions to his community, keen and curious mind, and generosity of spirit—he was beloved by all who knew him. Thaddeus Mosley was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1926. After serving in the US Navy in the late 1940s, he studied English and journalism at the University of Pittsburgh, going on to work with a local photographer and as a freelance reporter for, among others, the Pittsburgh Courier, one of America’s leading Black newspapers. In 1950, inspired by Western and Central African art, the work of modernists like Constantin Br