Denise de Cordova

Denise de Cordova is a sculptor living and working in London who also produces specific ceramic sculptures under the nom de plume Amy Bird. She is affiliated with the Royal College of Art as part of the School of Arts & Humanities. Denise studied sculpture at Brighton Polytechnic and the Royal College of Art, and has established herself as a significant figure in contemporary art practice through numerous prestigious fellowships and exhibitions.

Her research interests focus on critical practice, art & curating, and the Sites & Situations Research Cluster which examines physical territories and political contexts through contemporary art. Much of her recent work derives from residencies in British Columbia, Canada and Rome, Italy, investigating the trope of the female body to explore intercultural terra mater identities as embodied place portraits. She describes herself as a 'kind of Victorian magic realist,' creating tableaux that use specific imagery to explore historical tropes centering on ideas of nature, identity, myth and folklore.

Denise's sculptural practice involves hand-crafted, painted objects assembled into tableaux that incorporate representation and specific imagery to explore cultural constructs. Her work often addresses dualities such as the familiar and uncanny, domestic and wilderness, and fictional and nonfictional. Under her nom de plume Amy Bird, she creates ceramic heroines that contrast with her primary practice through their sensual handling of clay and fluid glazing techniques.

Her extensive recognition includes being named a Rome Scholar, a Henry Moore Foundation Fellow, a Stanley Picker Fellow, and was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Art in 2006. She has recorded her life history for the British Library as part of the digital Artists Lives Archive, supported by the Henry Moore Foundation, which will be available to the public in 2025.

Denise has taught extensively in art colleges throughout the UK and abroad. She has one known research student, David Johnson. Her work has been featured in numerous significant exhibitions that focus on placing sculptures within existing museum collections, including 'Confluence' at The Museum of St John, London (1995), 'Pressing Flesh' at The Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge (2001), 'Salon Particular' at St Mark's Church, Myddelton Square, London (2011), and 'Congregation' at The Chapel, Jesus College, Cambridge (2013).