Large and small-scale sculpture and carvings in marble, stone, sterling silver and bronze. Michael Cooper’s pieces are a study in a wide variety of animal, bird and the human figure.

Born in Dublin, Michael studied at a Heatherly’s School of Art and then under Anthony Gray. Working with different mediums including marble, stone and bronze, it is the nature of the material that lends itself to Cooper’s flowing harmonies of surface, and it is this that depicts the beauty of the natural world. His pieces are irresistibly tactile and the viewer is drawn to touch as much as view his pieces.

“Michael’s empathy for his subject allows his chisel deftly to reveal not only the inner calm and beauty of the stone but also the essence of the animal itself. This is not ‘Nature, red in tooth and claw’, nor sanitised sentimentality; Michael’s sculptures are dignified, self-assured, independent and respectful. They have a deep and quiet energy perhaps imparted by the long hours of chipping which bring them forth from the stone. Michael Cooper’s work brings the third dimension vividly to life through the irresistible urge to feel and caress surface and form. With eyes closed, this abstract, almost musical pleasure is an essential part of the appreciation of his sculptures.” – Rungwe Kingdon