Beryl Cook’s 100th birthday celebrated with mile-long art display at Bicester Village

House of Voltaire and Bicester Village are teaming up on a major celebration of British artist and LGBTQ+ ally Beryl Cook to mark what would have been her 100th birthday.

Cook passed away in 2008 at the age of 81 after a long battle with cancer. She died at her home in Plymouth, in south-west England, with her husband and son by her bedside.

The late artist’s work has long been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community. As a woman surrounded by gay male friends, she often depicted the joy of queer nightlife, drag queens and British culture in her paintings.

Honouring the anniversary, the project, titled ‘Beryl Cook and Friends’, will launch at Bicester Village from 10 September, Cook’s birthday, until 25 October 2026.

The Bicester Village takeover will include a large outdoor art display stretching approximately one mile, celebrating Cook’s colourful depictions of everyday British life.

‘Beryl Cook and Friends’ will include:

• Life-size cut-out characters from Cook’s paintings.
• Large-scale murals.
• Sculptural recreations of her famous scenes.
• Characters placed throughout the Village’s streets, benches, green spaces and phone boxes.

House of Voltaire invites visitors to interact with the artwork, including taking photographs with a full-scale recreation of Cook’s famous 1993 painting ‘Breakfast at Elvira’s’.

As well as this, fans will know that Cook’s work ventures beyond the human world and into the animal kingdom, with other artwork including her famous pigeons, cats and dogs.

Those who gather to mark what would have been her 100th birthday can take a piece of Cook’s legacy home with them, as the pop-up will sell rare original Beryl Cook artworks, as well as:

House of Voltaire and Bicester Village will sell:

• Limited-edition prints.
• Cushions.
• Tea towels.
• Silk scarves.
• Pin badges.
• Tea cups and trays.
• Tablecloths.
• Lambswool dog blankets.

Beryl Cook’s granddaughter, Sophie Cook, said in a news release: “Our family is thrilled to work with Studio Voltaire and Bicester Village on this centenary celebration. My grandmother loved nothing more than watching people enjoy themselves, laugh and dress up.

“Seeing her characters come to life along the vibrant streets of the Village is the perfect, playful tribute to her life and work.”

The collection will also include work from contemporary artists and designers inspired by Cook, ranging from £7 to £70,000.

The artists include:

• Ashish.
• Jeremy Deller.
• Patrizio di Massimo.
• Anthea Hamilton.
• Chantal Joffe.
• Rachel Jones.
• Ella Kruglyanskaya.
• Linder.
• Sarah Lucas.
• France-Lise McGurn.

James Lambert OBE, deputy chairman at Value Retail, said: “We are delighted to welcome the iconic world of Beryl Cook to Bicester Village.

“This mile-long takeover offers our guests a completely unique cultural experience this autumn. Crucially, we are incredibly proud that this collaboration launches a three-year partnership supporting Studio Voltaire’s vital learning and community initiatives.”

The project follows Studio Voltaire’s successful 2024 exhibition ‘Beryl Cook / Tom of Finland’, which became the organisation’s most visited exhibition in its 32-year history, followed by a later retrospective at The Box in Plymouth.

Studio Voltaire director Joe Scotland said it was “an honour to celebrate Beryl Cook’s centenary on such a grand, public scale.”

The event marks the beginning of a three-year partnership with Bicester Village, which will provide funding for Studio Voltaire’s Learning Programme, helping the next generation of creative minds.