Bridget Riley (1931-), Artist

Bridget Louise Riley

Sitter in 16 portraits
Born in London, she studied at Goldsmith's and the Royal College of Art. The leading exponent of 'Op Art' in Britain, Riley worked initially in black and white, only introducing colour in 1967. Her solo exhibitions in 1962 and 1963 and a series of overseas shows in 1964 secured an international reputation for her meticulously executed paintings with dazzling 3-D effects. She won the International Prize for Painting at the 1968 Venice Biennale. Recent retrospective shows were held at the Hayward Gallery (1992), the Tate (1994) and the Serpentine Gallery (1999).