b. 1936 -

Born in 1936, Pegge Hopper is an American painter, illustrator, and muralist from Oakland, California. After working numerous jobs, including as a mural designer and an art director, she moved to Honolulu in 1963 and was inspired to start painting again, creating a series of distinctive island women now cherished by art collectors worldwide. She has held one-person exhibitions in Hawaii, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

About Pegge Hopper

• Name: Pegge Hopper


• Alias: Pegge Hopper


• Profession: Painter, illustrator, muralist, b. 1936 -


• Nationality: American

Biography

A California native, Pegge Hopper was born in 1936 and studied painting at the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design. She moved to New York in 1956 to design murals for Raymond Loewy Associates before settling in San Francisco to work as a freelancer.

From 1961 to 1962, Hopper resided in Milan, Italy, where she illustrated posters and graphics for La Rinascente. After moving to Honolulu and serving as an art director for Lennen and Newell Advertising Agency, she became inspired to revisit painting after viewing archived vintage photographs of native Hawaiians.

Her paintings portray stern-faced women surrounded by soft, colorful backgrounds of Hawaiian beaches, flowers, and foliage, exuding a sense of tenderness and nourishment. These island women depictions differ from the hula dancing imagery typically associated with Hawaiian art, contributing to their widespread acclaim.

Today, Hopper's work is featured at The State Foundation on Culture and The Arts and Contemporary Art Center in Hawaii.

Related Styles

• Figurative Painting


• Contemporary Art


• Mural Design

Highlights and Achievements

• Hopper’s work has been featured in a permanent collection at the Bishop Museum in Oahu, the largest museum in Hawaii.


• Hopper created prints, note cards, calendars, and posters of her artwork.

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