Alumna and artist Eileen Cooper OBE RA nominated for Woman of the Year

A former student of Goldsmiths, University of London has been nominated for Woman of the Year 2016.

Artist Eileen Cooper OBE RA studied art at Goldsmiths from 1971-74. Selected as a student by Jon Thompson, she was also taught by fellow Royal Academicians Michael Craig-Martin and Albert Irvin.

Cooper then moved to the Royal College of Arts and exhibited widely from the 1980s, becoming well known for her strong and passionate figuration.

Elected to the RA in 2001, she has been Keeper of the Royal Academy of Arts since 2010 and a teacher at the RA Schools, Central St Martins and the Royal College of Art.

The RA hosted an exhibition in May 2015 celebrating 40 years of Cooper’s drawings. Titled ‘Hide and Seek: Drawings by Eileen Cooper RA’, it has since gone on tour. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to the arts and arts education.

This year’s Women of the Year lunch will take place on Monday 17 October at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel. All 400 women invited from all walks of life are regarded as a “Woman of the Year” and represent not just herself, but millions of women making a difference in the world.

Exceptional women are then presented with special awards, further recognising their courage, selflessness and dedication. Previous Women of the Year winners include philanthropist and TV presenter Katie Piper, the 2012 Team GB Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and justice campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

On receiving her Woman of the Year nomination, Cooper said: “I was delighted and surprised to be invited to this wonderful event celebrating the achievements of women. I consider it a great honour and I am looking forward to it."

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