Nancy Cadogan

Nancy Cadogan
Nancy Cadogan
Born	1979; United Kingdom
Occupation	Artist
Known for	Figurative art, still life, landscape, and portrait painting

Nancy Cadogan (born 1979) is a British artist specializing in figurative art, with a portfolio that includes still life, landscape, and portrait painting.

Her international solo exhibitions include prominent shows at the Saatchi Gallery in London (2019) and the Keats-Shelley House in Rome (2020). The 2019 exhibition Mind Zero at Saatchi Gallery attracted significant attention, ranking among the top 100 global exhibitions by daily visitor numbers, drawing 3,329 attendees. In 2022, Cadogan served as Artist in Residence at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris. Her latest series, ‘The Lost Trees’, explores themes related to humanity’s relationship with trees, time, and the natural world.

In 2024, she was invited to present 'Stanza'—a collection inspired by Lake Como—at Torre delle Arti, Bellagio. Jo Baring, Director of the Ingram Collection of Modern British Art, praised these pieces as "a poetic dialogue inviting contemplation through her painterly prose.”

Life and career

Cadogan’s early years included time spent in Crete and Cyprus before returning to the United Kingdom. She completed her secondary education at Oxford High School, Oxford and pursued art studies at City and Guilds of London Art School. She earned a Fine Art Painting degree from Canterbury Christ Church University in 2002. Shortly thereafter, she relocated to New York City, where she shared studio space in the Starrett-Lehigh Building with fellow artist Franco Ciarlo.

She achieved sold-out solo exhibitions at Frost & Reed in New York during 2005 and 2006; her first show there featured striking landscapes from Utah. After moving back to the UK in 2008, Cadogan exhibited at Sladmore Contemporary in London. Despite taking breaks for motherhood, she continues to paint from her studio in Northamptonshire and has recently presented work with Art Bastion in Miami and Southampton, as well as The Blue Edition in London.

In 2008, she was recognized by Tatler as one of the 'Top 20 New British Art Talents', earning comparisons to "the new Paula Rego." In 2017, Cadogan was also among 93 women artists chosen for The Ned's permanent Vault 100 exhibition, which highlights gender imbalance among CEOs.

Artistic style

Cadogan’s earlier creations focused largely on portraits and landscapes, showcasing a refined command of colour combined with spatial composition that invites viewers into wide-reaching scenes.

Her more recent pieces—featured on platforms such as Artsy and Art Sales Index—delve into concepts of stillness and place, interpreted both through still life subjects and emotional states. These seemingly simple works encourage profound contemplation. Cadogan has remarked, "I am interested in stillness, not only in the sense of a still life and how that tradition explores the passing of time, but actual physical stillness." Critics have highlighted her vibrant use of colour, particularly her blues.

Her themes have encompassed locations like Morocco, Utah, and Lake Como. Lately, she has concentrated almost exclusively on still lifes featuring books. These paintings symbolize the passage of time while reflecting on stillness as a rare phenomenon within today’s highly connected society—celebrating moments of quiet introspection. She refers to the book as "a treasure in this modern era," emphasizing its role in preserving privacy and inner life.

Recent large-format works emphasize everyday beauty alongside inner consciousness. Philippa Adams, Director of Saatchi Gallery, commented: “Nancy’s paintings beautifully evoke the experience of being absorbed in one’s own thoughts. Their vibrant energy offers a pause for reflection and tranquility amid today’s unpredictable environment.”

Selected Exhibitions

2002 Graduation Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2003 Gallery 47, London
2004 Recent Paintings: Morocco, Frost and Reed Gallery, New York City
2005 Recent Paintings: Utah Landscapes, Frost and Reed Gallery, New York City
2005 Solo Exhibition, Sextant Inc., New York City
2006 Grand Beginnings, GrandyArt at Arndean Gallery, London
2007 Group Exhibition, GrandyArt, Smithfield Gallery, London
2008 Recent Paintings, Sladmore Contemporary, London
2011 Charity Art Auction, Christie’s, Milan
2011 21st Chelsea Antiquarian Book Fair, London
2016 A Sense of Place, Art Bastion, Miami
2016 Art Southampton, Miami
2016 The Blue Edition, 68 Kinnerton Street, London
2017 Still Reading, Shapero Modern/Sladmore Contemporary, London
2019 Mind Zero, Saatchi Gallery, London
2020 Wall of Small, Lyndsey Ingram Gallery, London
2020 Art from the Heart - NHS, Zuleika Gallery, London
2020 What we See, Gillian Jason Gallery, London
2020-2021 Gusto, Keats-Shelley House, Rome
2021 All The Good Things, The Cadogan at A Belmond Hotel, London
2022 Eye of the Collector, London
2022 The Still Point, Gillian Jason Gallery, London
2023 LAPADA, Gillian Jason Gallery, London
2023 The Beaumont London Commission, Atelier Zuleika, London
2023 British Art: Then and Now, Dorfold Zuleika Gallery, London
2023 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London
2024 LOVE /lʌv/, Loughran Gallery, London
2024 Stanza, Torre delle Arti, Bellagio

Family

Cadogan is the daughter of Gerald Cadogan, an archaeologist recognized for his research at the Myrtos Pyrgos Minoan site on Crete as well as the Maroni Vournes site in Cyprus.

In 2006, she married Edward Benjamin Newton Guinness from the Guinness family in Como, subsequently taking his surname. The couple has three children and lives in Northamptonshire.