In this conversation, Eileen Cooper RA explains the role of drawing in her work and how her engagement with materials provides a direct channel to her imagination. The discussion is in conjunction with her retrospective, Hide and Seek, which showcases drawings through 40 years of her career.

Cooper explains that, as a young artist, it was the fluidity and liberation of the line that helped build her confidence during her training. “Art is the way in which I understand the world,” she says.

Hide and Seek: Drawings by Eileen Cooper RA is in the The John Madejski Fine Rooms until 23 August 2015. For a behind the scenes tour of her studio, see photographs of Eileen Cooper RA’s studio visit.