Elizabeth Cope Irish, b. 1952

Born in 1952 in Co. Kildare Elizabeth Cope has been working as a painter for over 50 years. Taking inspiration from her response to the everyday things in life Cope lends the same fluid and playful representational approach to wide ranging subject matter including the friends, family, landscapes, animals and objects that surround her. Often compared to French masters such as Matisse and Bonnard due to the sheer exuberance and energy in her work, Cope’s painting is defined by it’s vivacity and brave use of pallet and pattern. 

Cope studied at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, before moving to London where she continued her studies at the St. John Cass School of Art in Whitechapel.  After graduating, she travelled widely throughout Europe and the Middle East and in 1974 returned to London where she resumed her fine art studies at the prestigious Chelsea School of Art.  

Throughout her career Cope has undertaken residencies and exhibited in galleries and museums all over the world including solo exhibitions in New York, London, Zurich, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Her work is represented in many important public and private collections including the Crawford Gallery Cork. A major retrospective of the artist’s work was held in VISUAL Carlow in 2023.  She currently lives and works in Co. Kilkenny.