Eileen Cooper RA is your favourite artist’s favourite artist. With a career spanning more than four decades, she has been a vital force in British art, shaping the cultural landscape through her distinctive vision and influential presence. Her work featured in the landmark exhibition ‘Women’s Images of Men’ at the ICA London in 1980 and since then multiple group and solo exhibitions, both in the UK and internationally, have affirmed her position as one of the UK’s leading figurative artists. Her work is now held in major public and private collections including Tate, the British Museum and the Royal Collection.
A champion of emerging talent, Eileen holds an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Art and made history as the first woman to be elected Keeper of the Royal Academy since its founding in 1768, overseeing the RA Schools for six years. Her contributions to art and art education were formally recognised in 2016 when she was appointed an Officer of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
With the female figure and identity central to her practice, Eileen draws inspiration from all forms of art and art history, as well as mythology, fairytales, comics and cinema - to weave allegory and autobiography into imagery that is at once bold, tender and relatable. Launching at Seventy Five to coincide with International Women’s Day, this exhibition of works on canvas, drawing and watercolour works pays tribute to the breadth of her practice and the spirit of transformation and individuality that define her work, and Liberty.