Nigel Cooke Paintings

British, b. 1973

Nigel Cooke is known for evocative works that merge figurative forms with abstract and elemental atmospherics. Since the late 1990s, Cooke has explored and stretched the boundaries of figurative painting, creating a highly diverse and distinctive body of work. More recently, his work has assessed this output, moving into a succinct language with which to investigate his wide range of interests. Informed by a range of fields from palae-ontology, neuroscience, classical mythology and zoology, the linear construction of Cooke’s latest paintings recalls brain circuitry, the human or animal body and landscape formations simultaneously. The artist is interested in folding familiar dualities such as the mind and body, or the human brain and the natural world, into a single fluid gesture. His organic abstractions are loaded with mammalian and geological fragments, creating an instability and movement in the image as well as an ambiguity between a vast array of natural associations. Using notational sketches and paintings made on location at various sites around the world, Cooke distills his impressions of specific places and the people in them into a personal vocabulary of forms that evolves and repeats through time, with autobiographical material often infusing and directing the process. Developing an emotive and highly focused use of colour alongside these forms, Cooke’s calligraphic images are delicately balanced, with structure and collapse held together in a state of tension. The paintings contrast staining techniques on raw linen with classical techniques of layering and spatial depth, indebted to both abstract expressionism and the figurative compositions of European Classicism. Much of the work’s rehearsals and revisions are visible in the final image, which play fine, schematic areas against passages of gestural impasto. Cooke’s background in masterfully executed figurative painting provides the sense of drawing and representational rendering that permeate the abstract marks. In their unfixed and writhing otherness, they engage with the self as a porous system, in flux between animal states and prehistory, between the inner life and the ecosystems of the world at large. Nigel Cooke studied at the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths College, where he gained a PhD in Philosophy, writing about non-linear systems in the thought of George Bataille, Michel Serres and others. Making often atypical connections between disparate fields - cave paintings and surrealism, insect mimicry and information physics - his theoretical writings ultimately explored representation as a function of the natural world, and formed the basis of his conception of the value of painting and its possibilities. His paintings are held in several of the world’s major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate Gallery, London; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Astrup Fearnely Museet for Moderne Kunst, Oslo; Milwaukee Art Museum.

Artist: Nigel Cooke

Nigel Cooke"Pyroclastic Fever, " Nigel Cooke, Contemporary Painting, Lightning Skyscape, 2002

$32,000Sale Price|20% Off

"Pyroclastic Fever, " Nigel Cooke, Contemporary Painting, Lightning Skyscape

By Nigel Cooke

Located in New York, NY

Nigel Cooke (Born 1973) Pyroclastic Fever, 2002 Oil on canvas 60 1/2 x 84 1/2 inches Signed, titled and dated "NIGEL COOKE 'PYROCLASTIC FEVER' 2002 Nigel C...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Maura Petersen"Sienna Summer" - Bright and Colorful Textural Contemporary Italian Street Scene, 2025

$7,500

H 45 in W 39 in D 1.5 in

"Sienna Summer" - Bright and Colorful Textural Contemporary Italian Street Scene

Located in Carmel, CA

Maura Petersen (American, born 1956) "Sienna Summer" 2025 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right of the painting. "Sienna Summer" by Maura Petersen cap...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Natan CooperContemporary Abstract Figurative Amalgamation Painting, 120X100 cm, Excellent, 2024

$5,900

H 47.25 in W 39.38 in D 1.19 in

Contemporary Abstract Figurative Amalgamation Painting, 120X100 cm, Excellent

Located in New York, NY

This work by Natan is an expressive artwork that explores the tension between a calm, restrained background and bold, dynamic gestures. Sweeping brushstrokes and layered forms create...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Natan CooperContemporary Abstract Figurative Composition in a circle, 115X115 cm, Excellent, 2023

$5,900

H 45.28 in W 45.28 in D 1.19 in

Contemporary Abstract Figurative Composition in a circle, 115X115 cm, Excellent

Located in New York, NY

This is an abstract, colorful painting featuring layered shapes and brushstrokes arranged inside a large circular frame. The artwork combines bold colors like pink, blue, yellow, and...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chelsea DavineEvanescence- 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Oil Painting, Gold Leaf, 2022

$7,390

H 63.78 in W 44.89 in

Evanescence- 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Oil Painting, Gold Leaf

By Chelsea Davine

Located in Barcelona, Catalonia

Oil and gold leaf on canvas For centuries, artisans and artists have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer and shine. Also many contemporary artists continue ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Steven H. Rehfeld"Unfinished Union" by Rehfeld - Very Large Stunning Figurative Abstract Painting, 2022

$65,000

H 91 in W 91 in D 1.5 in

"Unfinished Union" by Rehfeld - Very Large Stunning Figurative Abstract Painting

By Steven H. Rehfeld

Located in Carmel, CA

Steven H. Rehfeld (American, born 1954) "Unfinished Union" 2022 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars, Wire The artist signed the back of the painting. This large-scale painting by Stev...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Wire

Ashraf Zamzami"Caesar" (FRAMED) Abstract Oil Painting 24" x 20" inch by Ashraf Zamzami, 2023

$3,700

H 24 in W 20 in

"Caesar" (FRAMED) Abstract Oil Painting 24" x 20" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

By Ashraf Zamzami

Located in Culver City, CA

"Caesar" (FRAMED) Abstract Oil Painting 24" x 20" inch by Ashraf Zamzami ABOUT Ashraf El Zamzami was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Minya, and he fast made a name for hi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Jean DubuffetFigural Funeral Scene, 20th Century

$2,350

H 59 in W 65.5 in D 1.5 in

Figural Funeral Scene

By Jean Dubuffet

Located in Astoria, NY

20th Century School, Figural Funeral Scene, Oil Impasto on Canvas, signed "J. Duffet" lower right, unframed. 59" H x 65.5" W x 1.5" D. Provenance: From a New York City Collection.

Category

Late 20th Century Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cindy Shaoul"Stepping Out, Paris Runway" Figure in Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas, 2018

$1,600

H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in

"Stepping Out, Paris Runway" Figure in Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas

By Cindy Shaoul

Located in New York, NY

A very whimsical depiction of a woman stepping out in a white wedding dress on the runway in France. This piece captures the essence of fashion in Pairs. Done in a very modern and im...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sax BerlinZizi The Parisenne, 2013

$2,950

H 18 in W 14 in

Zizi The Parisenne

By Sax Berlin

Located in Brecon, Powys

A beautiful cosmopolitan representation of Sax Berlin's Parisian friend Zizi. Chic and self-possessed Zizi sports a green hat, an enigmatic expression and is ready to inhabit her hig...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ashraf Zamzami"El Toro" Abstract Oil Painting 57" x 77" inch by Ashraf Zamzami, 2023

$16,000

H 57 in W 77 in

"El Toro" Abstract Oil Painting 57" x 77" inch by Ashraf Zamzami

By Ashraf Zamzami

Located in Culver City, CA

"El Toro" Abstract Oil Painting 57" x 77" inch by Ashraf Zamzami Ashraf El Zamzami was a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Minya, and he fast made a name for himself in the lo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Zoran ŠimunovićGardens II by Zoran Šimunović - Large scale painting, pink, vivid colors, 2025

$10,789

H 57.09 in W 57.09 in

Gardens II by Zoran Šimunović - Large scale painting, pink, vivid colors

By Zoran Šimunović

Located in Paris, FR

Gardens II is an oil on canvas painting by the Croatian artist, Zoran Šimunović from the series GARDENS. Dimensions are 145 × 145 cm (57 x 57 in). The artwork is sold framed. Dimensi...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cindy Shaoul"A Day in Paris" Silver and White French Haute Couture Painting on Canvas, 2025

$3,200

H 48 in W 30 in D 1.5 in

"A Day in Paris" Silver and White French Haute Couture Painting on Canvas

By Cindy Shaoul

Located in New York, NY

Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...

Category

2010s Contemporary Nigel Cooke Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Nigel Cooke paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Nigel Cooke paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Nigel Cooke in canvas, fabric, oil paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Nigel Cooke paintings, so small editions measuring 85 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Simon Casson, Benjamin Shine, and Angela Wakefield. Nigel Cooke paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $40,000 and tops out at $40,000, while the average work can sell for $40,000.