Born 1964, South Wales. Now lives and works in Sydney.

Laura Matthews studied at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art, London University, as an undergraduate and postgraduate student. During this 6-year period her work matured under the tutelage of some of the greatest modern British painters, amongst them William Coldstream and Euan Uglow. A regular visitor at the Slade, Lucien Freud offered criticism and support and Laura subsequently received numerous accolades, awards and travelling scholarships under this exceptional guidance. A two-time recipient of the International Elizabeth Greenshield Bursary, Laura left her homeland in 2002 to immigrate with her family to Australia.

Upon arriving here Laura has continued to receive high acclaim. She has been selected as a finalist in the Portia Geech Memorial Award for Portraiture held at the SH Ervin Gallery in 2003, 2004 and 2008; a finalist in the prestigious Fleurieu Peninsula Award for landscape in 2004; in the same year a finalist in the Paddington Art Prize; and in 2009 was highly commended in The John Glover Prize for Tasmanian Landscape.

Laura's work is represented in private collections in Europe, the USA and Australia. She is included in the extensive collections of Royal Caribbean Cruise Liners, many of which were specially commissioned. Her work is also found in the Slade Collection and on the cover of The Oxford Book Of Twentieth Century English Verse chosen by Philip Larkin (Oxford University Press).