Rose Popay

Rose Popay (b. 1974, Bath) was quite literally  born into performance — arriving into a world of theatre, spectacle, and creative mischief that would shape her life and career. Raised among the vibrant happenings of the 70s & 80s, she grew up immersed in the work of her parents’ company, The Natural Theatre Company, one of Britain’s most influential street theatre troupes. As a child she was often cast as a prop, a character, developing an instinctive relationship with audiences and public space from an early age.

Today, Rose is known for uniquely combining performance and fine art Based in Bristol, she appears at events, weddings, creating live paintings and rapid-fire portraits sometimes as her self or inhabiting larger-than-life personas. Her most popular character — “Banksy’s Mum” produces full-colour portraits with quick draw and sharp wit …imagining the muse…naked!

Passionate about accessibility in the arts, Rose has spent over 20 years leading collaborative public artworks Murals and workshops, gently coaxing creativity out of participants of all ages and backgrounds. Her multidisciplinary practice spans painting, illustration, digital drawing, ceramics, sculpture, set-making, facilitation, and performance.

Rose Popay is energetic, and endlessly inventive. Her colourful upbringing continues to shine through everything she creates — art that is vibrant, human, and unapologetically alive.