Biography

Sue Coe is a contemporary English artist, noted for her intensely political graphic illustrations and activism. Born on November 28, 1951 in Staffordshire, England, she grew up near a slaughterhouse, which instilled in the artist a lifelong passion for animal rights activism. This political sensibility characterizes Coe’s work, which often explicitly makes animal rights and other social issues its central subject. The artist uses painting, printmaking, and a realistic drawing style to depict scenes of animal suffering, as seen in BP Burns Turtles (2010). Her work is notably influenced by Chaïm Soutine, Käthe Kollwitz, and Francisco de Goya, among others. Along with her investigation of cruelty against animals, Coe has also explored topics such as sweatshops, prisons, AIDS, war, and anticapitalism throughout her work. Her illustrations have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Nation. She lives and works in upstate New York.