About
© Jane Sebire
Irish Artist Elizabeth Cope was born in 1952 in Co. Kildare. She currently lives and works in Co. Kilkenny.
Cope has exhibited in galleries and museums all over the world for the past 40 years and is found in many important public and private collections.
“Painting for me is a way of life. I was seduced by the smell of oil paint when I was nine years old: my sister came home from Paris with a box of paints.
The act of painting is like doing a post mortem. You are involved emotionally and yet detached at the same time. This means that the act of painting is dispassionate as well as passionate. I think that the painter has ‘an inner eye’. When I was a child I wanted to be a nun and become a saint, like St. Therese of Lisieux. I soon realized that this would not happen, but perhaps becoming a painter has allowed me to become a ‘second- rate saint’. The dedication of a painter allows a spiritual freedom and I see painting as a kind of prayer that lifts the spirit beyond mundane life.
Like many of the artists I admire I begin with a struggle. Without the struggle occurring in making a painting, I feel that the process of trying to paint is not wholly alive. It is the struggle that counts. In painting there is no resolution; it is an ongoing act.
I paint through the chaos of everyday life, if I were to wait for a quiet moment I would never paint. I believe that painting should also be like dancing and that the real ‘work of art’ is not so much the canvas when the paint is dry, but rather the physical rhythm of the process of painting it.”
ELIZABETH COPE
Shankill, Ireland – September 2019
Videos
Exhibitions
2021: Gerber Fine Art Gallery
Glasgow
2019: Gerber Fine Art Gallery
Saatchi Gallery, London. 3rd – 6th October
2018: Naked Truth
Crawford Gallery, Cork
2019: Borris Literary Festival & Festival of Ideas
Portraits of Writers over 45 years
2018/9: Compass Gallery
Glasgow
2018/9: Hamilton Gallery
Sligo
CURRICULUM VITAE
| ONE MAN SHOWS | |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Jerber Fine Art, Glasgow |
| 2018 | Positive Masculinity, Maison Depoivre, Picton, Ontario |
| 2017 | Seduced by the Smell of Paint, Oriel Gallery, Dublin |
| 2016 | Stop It! I love it! 14 Clareville Street, Kensington, London |
| 2014 | From Brazil to Ballinaskelligs (with Phoebe Cope), Origin Gallery Dublin |
| 2014 | Galerie Instituto Volusiano, Sao Paulo |
| 2012/3 | Spitalfields Gallery, London |
| 2012 | Jacques Lamy Gallery, Dallas Texas. |
| 2011 | Irish American Heritage Arts Centre, Chicago |
| 2011 | National Arts Club, Gramercy Park, New York |
| 2008 | Castillo Galleazza, Bologna, |
| 2007 | Oliver Gormley Gallery, Dublin |
| 2006 | M.A. Show, City and Guilds School of Art, London |
| 2006 | Leinster Gallery, Dublin |
| 2005 | Bold Gallery, Galway |
| 2005 | Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Dublin |
| 2004 | Jacques Lamy Gallery,Dallas |
| 2002/3 | Walton Gallery, London |
| 2003 | Edinburgh Featival, Old Bakehouse Gallery |
| 2002 | Dean Corbett Studio, Dallas (Digital Exhibition) |
| 2001 | Pecanins Gallery, Mexico City |
| 1998-99 | Butler Gallery, Kilkenny |
| 1985-98 | Solomon Gallery Dublin |
| 1998 | Arthouse, Templebar, Dublin |
| 1996-97 | London Contemporary Art Fair |
| 1995 | Park Walk Gallery, London |
| 1993 | Wexford Arts Centre |
| 1993 | Swiss Credit Bank Invitational, Zurich |
| 1992 | Hanne Brehm Gallery, Zurich |
| 1991 | Kerlin Gallery, Belfast |
| 1991 | Wooster Gallery, New York |
| 1982 | Tulfarris Gallery, Blessington, Co. Wicklow |
| 1980 | Alliance Francaise, Dublin |
| 1979 | Peacock Theatre, Dublin |
| EDUCATION | |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Taste of Cherry 2017/8 Karaj, Iran |
| 2013/4 | Instituto Volusiano, Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| 2012 | Residency at Point B, Brooklyn, New York |
| 2010 | Residency Edvard Munch Studio, Ekely Oslo |
| 2009 | Residency Zhang Xiaotao Studio, Beijing |
| 2006 | M.A. City & Guilds School of Art, London |
| 1974-77 | Chelsea School of Art, (London Certificate in Art and Design) |
| 1972-74 | Sir John Cass School of Art, Whitechapel, London |
| 1970 | National College of Art and Design, Dublin |
| AWARDS | |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Shortlisted for Sky Portrait Artist of the year, Irl/UK |
| 2011 | Imagine Ireland Sponsorship to New York, National Arts Club of America |
| 2011 | IBAM, Irish American Heritage Center, Chicago |
| 2001 | Grant for Mexican Exhibition by Dept. of Foreign Affairs, Dublin |
| 1997-98 | Trocaire Artist in Residence, Central America |
| 1994-95 | Trocaire Artist in Residence, Somalia (Arts Council Travel Bursary) |
| 1994 | Sunday Times Sponsorship to Somalia |
| 1994 | Galtee Deercare, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork |
| 1994 | James Adams Award for Artist with Potential |
| 1987 | 1st Prize in ‘Drawing the Line’ Competition (An Bord Gais) |
| 1982 | French Government Grant to Aix-en-Province |
| 1974 | Spanish Govt. Grant (from London) to Madrid and Segovia |
| 2013 | Shortlisted for Sky Portrait Artist of the year, Irl/UK |
| SELECTED GROUP SHOWS | |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Jerber Fine Art, Glasgow |
| 2019 | Jerber Fine Art, Glasgow |
| 2019 | British Art Fair, Saatchi Gallery with Jerber Fine Art |
| 2019 | Arebyte Studio, London City Island E14 |
| 2018 | Naked Truth, Crawford Gallery, Cork |
| 2018 | Purple Onion Gallery & Restaurant, Tarmonbarry, Co Longford |
| 2018 | Carlow Arts Festival, Bernard Jennings, Carlow |
| 2017 | R A of Arts in Yorkshire, Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, Yorkshire |
| 2017 | RHA Summer Exhibition, invitee |
| 2016/7 | Royal Academy Summer Show, London |
| 2016/7 | Oriel Gallery, Dublin (also 2016) |
| 2016/7 | I am of Ireland, Ballycrompane, Clashmore, Co Waterford |
| 2016 | Struggle, Sanwei Arts centre, Shanghai |
| 2016 | Birth of a Nation, Ning Space, Beijung |
| 2014/8 | Shankill Castle, Paulstown (Kilkenny Arts Festival) |
| 2013 | Pumphouse Gallery, Battersea, London |
| 2013 | Source Arts Centre Thurles, Co Tipperary |
| 2013 | Artists of the Pageant, Turner’s House, Twickenham |
| 2013 | Thames Festival Oxo Tower Wharf, London |
| 2013 | Enjoy Art 2013, Taichung, Taiwan |
| 2013 | ArtistsItaliani e Non 2, Soncino, Italy |
| 2013 | Creativa 2013, “Clark’s Collection”Casa del Mantegna,Bologna |
| 2013 | “Artists of the Pageant”, JWM Turner’s House, Sandycombe Lodge,Twickenham |
| 2013 | “Enjoying Art” 1st Show of British & Irish Artists, Taichung, Taiwan |
| 2011 | Kettle’s Yard at “Found”, Brompron garage, North Tce., Kensington |
| 2011 | Bankside Gallery, Artichoke Printmakers, Bankside, London |
| 2011 | Oliver Gormley Gallery, Dublin |
| 2008 | CUC Building, Novas, Liverpool |
| 2008 | Adopted Art, Cafe Royal, London |
| 2007 | Solomon Gallery |
| 2004 | Dallas Museum of Art, Beaux Arts Ball |
| 1999 | Galerie Thorigny, Paris |
| 1998 | Walker Art Gallery, Harrogate |
| 1997 | Coleurs du Temps, St. Paul de Vence |
| 1995 | John Martin of London |
| 1994 | Roger Billcliffe Gallery, Glasgow; Thompson Gallery, London |
| 1993 | Bronte Contemporary Art, Boston and Florida |
| 1993 | Kenny Art Gallery, Galway |
| 1992 | Pyms Gallery, London |
| 1992 | Eigse Festival, Carlow; Cork Arts Society |
| 1991 | Boyle Arts Festival, Co. Roscommon |
| 1990 | Images from Ireland, Brussels |
| 1990 | Figurative Image, Dublin |
| 1989 | Mistral Gallery, London |
| 1987/90 | Claremorris Open, Co. Mayo |
| 1987 | R.H.A. Banquet Show, Dublin, invited by Michael O’Dea |
| 1987 | Royal Hospital Kilmainham , Dublin (IMMA) ‘Kilkenny Nine’ |
| 1987 | Odette Gilbert Gallery, London |
| SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Under StARTers Orders, Save the Children and Disabled Jockey Fund at the Curragh Catalogue |
| 2018 | The Times, Scotland Elizabeth Cope Compass Gallery, Glasgow by Giles Sutherland, October 5th |
| 2017 | Hares on the March, Jack & Jill Fund |
| 2017 | RHA Catalogue invitee Published RHA |
| 2017 | Compendium, Eleven Spitalfields Able De Coker, Antwerp, Belgium |
| 2017 | Elizabeth Cope Seduced by the Smell of Paint (Gandon Editions, Kinsale) |
| 2016 | Hares on the March (Jack & Jull Foundation, Dublin) |
| 2014 | Clemency Emmet, Fireseed (Arlen House) Illustrated |
| 2014 | Alannah Hopkin, “Wintr in Brazil”, irish Arts review, Autumn |
| 2011 | Artnet, on line magazine, review by Ilka Scobie |
| 2010 | Eigse Carlow Arts Festival Retrospective 1979-2010 |
| 2010 | Robert O’Byrne, Dictionary of Living Irish Artists (Plurabelle Publishing, Dublin) |
| 2008 | Sandra Gibson, Fis 2008 review, Nerve, Liverpool |
| 1999 | Aidan Dunne, ‘The Artist as Witness’ irish times |
| 1997 | Aidan Dunne ‘Elizabeth Cope in Central America’, Social & Personal |
| 1995 | Clare Henry, ‘Out of Africa’ Glasgow Herald |
| 1995 | Aidan Dunne, Sunday Tribune |
| 1994 | John Burns, Sunday Times |
| 1993 | Teresa Besenfelder, ‘Ganz und gar Keine Irin’ Zurich 2 |
| 1990 | Hilary Pyle, Irish Times |
| 1989 | Scothanna Geala (Coisceim), illustrated |
| 1988 | Niall McMonagle, ‘Painting in the Midst of Chaos’, Irish Times |
| 1988 | Marina Vaizey, Sunday Times |
| 1982 | Brian Fallon, Irish Times |
| 1980 | Marc Raynaud, Contact Magazine |
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Allied Investment Bank
Allied Irish Bank (London & Dublin)
A & L Goodbody
Bank of Ireland
Hotel Conrad
Behaviour & Attitudes
Contemporary Irish Art Society
Lombard & Ulster Bank
Limerick University (Self-Portrait Collection)
Hibernian Life
CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Aguilar Associates, Fort Worth, TX, IBEC, Jury’s Hotel, Delta Airlines, Kelly’s Hotel, Rosslare, Ketchum, Washington DC., Kildare Street& University Club, Lord Bagenal Carlow, Manley & O’Reilly, Social Services Carlow, Stokes Kennedy Crowley, Rachel Treacy,