Colourful, curvaceous, confident and very often having a thoroughly good time, the women in Beryl Cook’s paintings have never been interested in quietly fading into the background.
This autumn, there’s a rather brilliant reason to make a trip to Bicester Village. From 10 September to 25 October 2026, Bicester Village and House of Voltaire are celebrating 100 years of much-loved British artist Beryl Cook with Beryl Cook and Friends – a joyful, larger-than-life installation spanning the Village. And we think it’s well worth seeing!
A celebration of everyday life
Beryl Cook became one of Britain’s best-loved artists for her wonderfully distinctive paintings of ordinary people enjoying themselves.
Pubs, cafés, dancing, holidays, nights out, shopping, friendships, Cook found inspiration in the everyday and filled her paintings with humour, warmth and a wonderful sense of fun. Her women in particular are difficult not to love. They’re glamorous, voluptuous, expressive and gloriously present. They’re dancing, drinking, laughing, dressing up and taking up space without apology. There’s something wonderfully refreshing about that. Cook herself once summed up the spirit of her work beautifully: “I love it when I see people enjoying themselves.” And perhaps that’s why her paintings still feel so relevant today.
A woman who did things her own way
There’s another part of Beryl Cook’s story that we particularly love at Women’s Society. She wasn’t a traditionally trained artist who had followed a carefully mapped-out career. She was self-taught and only began painting seriously later in life. Born in Surrey in 1926, Cook left school at 14 and went on to work in a variety of jobs, including as a showgirl and in fashion. It wasn’t until later that painting became an important part of her life.
She eventually became a household name, creating more than 500 paintings during her career. It’s a lovely reminder that creativity, reinvention and discovering something you’re brilliant at don’t have an age limit.
Beryl Cook and Friends at Bicester Village
To mark what would have been Cook’s 100th birthday, her joyful world is taking over Bicester Village. The open-air installation stretches throughout the Village, with life-size characters and large-scale murals inspired by some of her best-loved paintings appearing as you walk, shop and eat.
There’s also a House of Voltaire pop-up, featuring Beryl Cook artworks, limited editions and specially created pieces alongside work from contemporary artists and designers influenced by her legacy. You don’t need to be an art expert, and that’s rather the point.
Cook’s work has always been incredibly accessible. It’s colourful, funny, human and often makes you smile before you’ve even thought about why.
Why we love it
At Women’s Society, we talk a lot aboutconnection, trying something new and making space for the things that bring a little more joy into everyday life. Beryl Cook’s world seems to embody quite a lot of that!
Women together.
Friendship.
Conversation.
Getting dressed up.
Going out.
Having fun.
And perhaps most importantly, enjoying life without worrying too much about what anybody else thinks.
We can get on board with that!
Make a day of it!
Beryl Cook and Friends runs at Bicester Village from 10 September until 25 October 2026.
The main installation can be discovered as you wander through the Village, so it’s easy to combine with lunch, coffee or a little shopping.
For anyone who’d like to discover more about Cook and her work, there are also expert-led guided tours, plus special events taking place during the installation.
And don’t forget to visit the House of Voltaire pop-up while you’re there.
Beryl Cook and Friends
10 September – 25 October 2026
Bicester Village, Oxfordshire
A wonderfully joyful addition to the Oxfordshire calendar – and firmly on the Women’s Society list this autumn.
