Jamie Cooper

ARTIST & FORMER AFL FOOTBALLER

Some people find their calling early. Others discover it through a life fully lived. Jamie Cooper's story is BOTH — and it's what makes every piece he creates carry a weight that goes beyond paint on canvas.

From the Oval to the Canvas

Jamie Cooper is a portrait artist and former professional footballer with the Fitzroy Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). For almost 30 years, he has dedicated his life to documenting and celebrating sporting and cultural history through art, approaching each subject with the same respect, discipline and attention to detail that defined his career as an elite athlete.

When he retired from his sporting career, Jamie didn't step away from passion — he redirected it. 

Thirty Years of Creativity… and counting.

He quickly established himself as one of Australia’s leading sporting artists, receiving major commissions from AFL clubs, private collectors and organisations including the National Rugby League, Australian Olympic Committee and Australian Cricket Board.

Cooper is now the driving force behind the internationally recognised Team of the Century and Dream Scene concepts, creating major historical artworks under licence for some of the world’s most prominent sporting organisations.

His unique perspective as both an elite athlete and artist gives Cooper an exceptional understanding of the people and stories behind sporting history. His large-scale works bring together iconic figures, defining moments and generations of sporting heroes, distilling decades of history into a single, compelling image.

Yet it is not simply the likeness of the individuals that defines Cooper’s work. His paintings are constructed with layers of narrative, detail and symbolism, revealing stories within stories and inviting viewers to look beyond the surface. The result is an emotional connection between the artwork and the memories, heroes and cultural experiences of those who encounter it.

Cooper’s distinctive approach and athlete/artist experience  have been the subject of television, radio and print coverage in Australia and internationally, contributing to a growing global reputation.

His unique style subsequently captured the attention of the American sporting world. With work commissioned by the Philadelphia Phillies and further significant pieces of the New York Yankees and National Baseball Hall of Fame commissioned by prominent American collectors. 

The success of these projects opened the door to Europe, where Cooper has since completed major works under licence for some several of the world’s largest football clubs, including Real Madrid CF, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Rangers Football Club.

Across every project, Cooper’s ambition remains the same: to create more than a portrait or historical record, but an enduring visual celebration of the people, moments and stories that shape sporting culture.

Jamie doesn't simply paint what he sees  - he captures what he feels.