Gretta Bowen was born in Dublin in 1880 and moved to Belfast in 1921 where she married Matthew Campbell.

Four years after she was married her husband passed away leaving her to bring up her three sons. She took in boarders to her house and ran a laundrette service to support them, meanwhile her sons became painters.

When Bowen turned seventy she took up painting, signing with her maiden name to be unique from her sons.