The death has been announced of Michael Warren, one of Ireland's leading sculptors, renowned for his large-scale, site-responsive works.
Born in Gorey, Co. Wexford in 1950, Warren studied at the Bath Academy of Art, Trinity College Dublin, and the Accademia di Brera in Milan.
Working in bronze, timber, stone, steel and concrete, Warren's sculpures are noted for their abstract form and a remarkable lightness despite substantial scale.
Watch: Michael Warren talks to The Works on RTÉ in 2014
Major public commissions in Ireland include works for RTÉ, Dublin Port Authority, Trinity College Dublin, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and the Civic Offices at Wood Quay.
Internationally, his sculptures are held in collections and public spaces across the globe, including in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Andorra, France, Spain, Portugal, Ecuador, the United States, and the French West Indies.
Notable solo exhibitions include those at the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork; the Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin; and Galerie Weiller, Paris.
Michael Warren (1950-2025)
— Crawford Art Gallery (@CrawfordArtGall) July 10, 2025
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Michael Warren, whose remarkable explorations in sculptural and material form leave an ambitious presence in our shared artistic landscape. pic.twitter.com/y1grKHvcjh
A member of Aosdána, Warren received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Alice Berger Hammerschlag Scholarship, the Mont Kavanagh Award for Environmental Art, and the Medalla al Mérito Artístico in Madrid. His 2001 collaborative project Tulach a' tSolais with architect Ronnie Tallon was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Architecture Prize.
Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council, said: "It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Michael Warren, one of Ireland's visionary sculptors. Over the course of a remarkable career that spanned five decades, Michael created powerful, contemplative works that transformed public spaces both in Ireland and around the world. Michael Warren’s contribution to Irish art is immeasurable.
"On behalf of the Arts Council, I extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, fellow members of Aosdána, and all those inspired by his extraordinary work."
