Painter, draughtsman and teacher, born in London. Studied at Chelsea School of Art for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, 1964–9, gaining a fellowship in painting at Gloucestershire College of Art, 1969–70. He was Young Contemporaries prizewinner, 1968, gaining an Art Council Award in 1975 and its Major Award, 1978. Russell began teaching at York School of Art, 1971–4; further appointments followed at Newcastle Polytechnic and St Martin’s/Central St Martins; then from 1993 he was professor of fine art at Kingston University. Russell was closely involved in promoting exhibitions at Newcastle, St Martin’s and Kingston, from 1997 being director of Kingston’s Stanley Picker Gallery. Participated in numerous group exhibitions and showed solo steadily from his exhibition in 1973, at the White Rose Gallery, Bradford.