Jess Riva Cooper is an artist and educator based in Toronto, integrating colour, drawing, clay and numerous other materials to create sculptures and installation-based artworks. In many of Cooper’s sculptures the world sprouts plant matter. Colour and form burst forth from quiet gardens and bring chaos to ordered spaces. Nature undergoes a reclamation process by creeping over structures, subverting past states and creating a preternatural transformation.
Cooper received her BFA from NSCAD and her MFA in Ceramics from the Rhode Island School of Design. She widely exhibits her work and has participated in numerous artist residencies such as Medalta (Alberta), The Archie Bray Foundation (Montana), and The Kohler Arts/Industry Program (Wisconsin).