Cornelia O'Donovan lives and works in London. Previously trained and commissioned in different areas of illustration, design and printed textiles, her exploring artistry makes a poetic mix from technique and narrative. She continues to work in the 'documentary' spirit but her work has evolved to larger scale more detailed collages and drawings. Her expressive subject matter references urban landscapes, superstition, folklore and the day to day.

'I prefer to work in colour rather than in monochrome because... life is glorious in technicolour. Black is the colour of many colours mixed together. Lately my work has been inspired by hand painted tiles and architectural drawings, folk embroidery, the world's tallest and the world's smallest men meeting each other.'

Geoff Grandfield, one of her first tutors to recognise her rare and unique talent, writes of Cornelia-

'So what is it all about? There is the description of the work, as paper drawings turn into paintings, ceramics, textiles and set designs. But something else emerges and really is confirmed the more they are seen - the energy and playfulness, the inventive theatre of imagination. The marks have a collotype quality, imprints of scuffs and pressure.
Some images have a very raw quality like a hastily drawn directions' map, trying to find something, the marks hovering between description and abstract expressions.
Hearts, harlequin patterns, textual marks like bruises, a collage of marks and graphic materials seemingly grabbed randomly. Silent narratives. The world as a stage.
Just having fun with paper, pens, glue and scissors, the flow of images of character faces and figures, animals birds, flowers and abstract patterns.'

Her work has been shown on The Alternative London Fashion Week and printed worldwide in the World of Interiors magazine. Cornalia previously trained in theatre arts and production and visual communications. In 2007 she received a masters in illustration from the Royal College of Art.