LISA MILROY
b. 1959, CanadaLisa Milroy is an Anglo-Canadian contemporary artist celebrated for her innovative approach to still life painting, exploring the relationship between everyday objects, materiality, and the act of looking. Winner of the John Moores Painting Prize and a Royal Academician, Milroy’s works are held in significant public collections worldwide.
Early Years
Born in Vancouver in 1959, Lisa Milroy moved to Paris at the age of 18 to study at the Sorbonne University before relocating to London. She completed a foundation course at Saint Martin’s School of Art, followed by a BFA at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Milroy has lived and worked in London and Kent for much of her career.
Lisa Milroy Artworks
Lisa Milroy’s art practice centres on still life, using painting to examine the interplay between stillness and movement, presence and absence. Her distinctive approach is marked by a fascination with the visual and conceptual potential of everyday objects, often arranged in grids or scattered across neutral backgrounds.
1980s: Object Paintings
Milroy gained recognition in the 1980s for paintings depicting ordinary items, light bulbs, and tyres isolated against off-white grounds. These works, such as Shoes (1985, Tate), use repetition and arrangement to transform the mundane into subjects of contemplation.
1990s: Expansion and Setting
In the 1990s, Milroy’s focus shifted from isolated objects to their placement within broader settings. She began painting facades, landscapes, and architectural motifs, echoing her earlier interest in pattern and repetition but expanding her visual language to include narrative and spatial context.
2000s–Present: Experimentation and Performance
Milroy’s recent works incorporate textiles, performance, and installation, such as her painting dresses and interactive object paintings. Projects like Here & There: Paintings by Lisa Milroy (2018, Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art) and Detached (2012) invite viewers to engage physically with the art, blurring the boundaries between painting, sculpture, and performance.
Public Commissions
Hands On Art Workshops, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya (in partnership with UNHCR and Vodafone Foundation), ongoing since 2015.
Awards and Accolades
- John Moores Painting Prize, 1989
- Elected Royal Academician, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2005
- Artist Trustee, Tate, 2013–2017
- Liaison Trustee, National Gallery, 2015–2017
Exhibitions
Lisa Milroy has been the subject of both solo and group exhibitions at leading institutions.
Solo Exhibitions
- Here & There: Paintings by Lisa Milroy, Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London, 2018
- Exchange – Paintings by Lisa Milroy, White Conduit Projects, London, 2021
- Ensemble/Together – Paintings by Lisa Milroy, FRAC Occitanie Montpellier, France, 2020
- If the Shoe Fits/Bien dans ses pompes, FRAC Occitanie Montpellier, France, 2021
- Same and Different – Paintings by Lisa Milroy, One Off Contemporary Art Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya, 2021
Group Exhibitions
- The Shape of Things: Still Life in Britain, Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, UK, 2024
- A Century of the Artist’s Studio: 1920–2020, Whitechapel Gallery, London, 2022
- Found Cities, Lost Objects: Women in the City, Arts Council Collection touring exhibition, 2022–2023
- A Very Special Place: Ikon in the 1990s, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, 2021
Website and Instagram
Lisa Milroy’s website can be found at [lisamilroy.net.] and her Instagram: @lisa_milroy
Lisa Milroy FAQs
Where can I see Lisa Milroy’s art?
Milroy’s works are held in significant public collections, including the Tate (London), British Museum (London), FRAC Occitanie Montpellier (France), Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA), Kunstmuseum Bonn (Germany), and Fukuoka Art Museum (Japan). Her exhibitions have appeared at Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art (London), Whitechapel Gallery (London), and Pallant House Gallery (Chichester).
What is distinctive about Lisa Milroy’s artwork?
Milroy is known for transforming everyday objects into subjects of visual inquiry, utilising repetition, pattern, and arrangement to create paintings that bridge the realms of abstraction and figuration. Her later works expand into installation and performance, inviting viewer interaction.
Has Lisa Milroy contributed to arts education?
Yes, Milroy served as Head of Graduate Painting at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL (2009–2024), and established the Hands-On Art Workshops for students in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, delivered via live video sessions from London.
What are some key themes in Milroy’s practice?
Her art explores the tension between stillness and movement, the tactile and the visual, and the relationship between objects and their environments. She often uses everyday items as metaphors for presence, memory, and the act of looking.
How does Milroy approach the medium of painting?
Milroy’s practice is marked by experimentation, incorporating textiles, three-dimensional elements, and performance to expand the possibilities of painting beyond the canvas.
Ocula | 2025
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