Bridget Riley

Bridget Louise Riley CH CBE is an English painter who is one of the foremost proponents of op art.

Her mature style developed during the 1960's, it was during this time that Riley began to paint the black and white works for which she is well known. In 1968 Riley represented Great Britain in the Venice Biennale. She was the first British contemporary painter, and the first woman, to be awarded the prestigious International Prize for painting. After a trip to Egypt in the early 1980s, where she was inspired by colourful hieroglyphic decoration, Riley began to explore colour and contrast. In some works, lines of colour are used to created a shimmering effect, while in others the canvas is filled with tessellating patterns.

A 2008 interview with the artist can be seen here.

Portrait photo by Laurie Lewis