Cath (Catherine) Riley, was born in Keighley. She gained a first class honours degree in embroidery and a MA in fine art from Manchester Polytechnic and quickly gained attention for her three-dimensional art work.
In 1979, for example, George Melly purchased her mixed media collage, "The lady with the hat", for the Arts Council Collection, and other pieces have been acquired by Granada Television, North West Arts, and for Calderdale Museums and Galleries.