Eileen Cooper OBE RA is one of Britain’s leading contemporary figurative artists, celebrated for her richly imaginative works that explore identity, storytelling and the human condition.
Born in the Peak District, Cooper studied at Goldsmiths College before continuing her training at the Royal College of Art in the mid-1970s. From early in her career, she established a distinctive visual language centred on the human figure, particularly the female form, through which she explores themes of memory, mythology and personal experience.
Working across painting, drawing and printmaking, Cooper’s imagery draws on a wide range of sources, from folklore and fairy tales to religious narratives, early cinema and popular culture. Her compositions are often both bold and intimate, combining simplified forms with a strong sense of colour and line. Beneath their apparent immediacy lies a layered and often autobiographical dimension, where personal narratives are transformed into something more universal and allegorical.
Alongside her studio practice, Cooper has played a significant role in British art education. She has taught at a number of leading institutions, including Central Saint Martins, the Royal College of Art and the Royal Academy Schools. In 2000, she was elected a Royal Academician, and from 2010 to 2017 she served as Keeper of the Royal Academy, one of the institution’s most senior roles, becoming the first woman to hold the position since its foundation in 1768.
Her work is held in major public and private collections worldwide, including the Tate, Arts Council Collection, British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, the Royal Collection and international institutions such as the Dallas Museum of Art and the Kunsthalle, Nuremberg. In recognition of her contribution to art and education, Cooper was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2016. Her commitment to nurturing emerging artists remains a central part of her practice, alongside her continued exploration of the expressive potential of the figure.
Today, Eileen Cooper’s work is recognised for its ability to balance strength and sensitivity, creating images that are at once deeply personal and universally resonant, securing her place as a defining figure in contemporary British Art.