Eileen Cooper
Eileen Cooper is known for her figurative paintings, prints, and drawings inspired by an eclectic range of sources, including myth, folklore, and biblical fables. Educated at Goldsmiths College (1971–4) and the Royal College of Art (1974–7), she emerged as a figurative artist in the mid-1980s at a time when most artists were experimenting with conceptual art and performance. Her narrative scenes are usually drawn from the imagination but have autobiographical overtones, exploring themes such as sexuality, motherhood, and life and death. Women feature predominantly in her work, depicted as archetypal figures with both personal and universal resonance. The relationship between women and nature is also explored with motifs of flowers, trees, and foliage. Cooper was the first woman to be elected Keeper of the Royal Academy – a position that involved leading the Royal Academy Schools, a testament to her wide-ranging teaching experience at institutions including St Martin’s College of Art and the Royal College of Art.
