From Francis Bacon to Jack Butler Yeats, the emerald isle has a long legacy of talented designers putting our small country firmly on the map when it comes to art. The future of that fame is in safe hands, as the standard of Irish art looks set to continue soaring. With an exciting crop of emerging artists standing proudly alongside some established favourites, a shortage of eye-catching creativity isn't something this country needs to worry about. Here are five Irish artists being rightfully celebrated at home and abroad today.
Amanda Doran
The Dublin-based artist grew up around art, receiving strong encouragement from her uncle from a very young age. She cites Matisse, Picasso, Dana Schutz and Chantal Joffe as key influences for her appetite for figurative painting. Amanda’s work is based around the understanding of particular subcultures, and how people choose to identify and portray themselves as individuals. She finds inspiration in the idea of making the underdog or misfit of society an icon, which is subtly reflected in her striking artwork. First drawing attention as a result of her impressive NCAD Graduate Degree Show in 2012, Amanda was included in the Saatchi New Order: British Art Today exhibition in 2013 and Channel 4’s New Sensations Award in 2012. Her distinct style incorporates bold colour choices and pairs them with eye-catchingly grotesque figures in a truly unique way.
Rowan Gillespie
Blackrock-born bronze casting sculptor Rowan finds inspiration for his art in the work of Henry Moore and Edvard Munch - a natural pairing having previously lectured at the Vigeland Museum and the Edvard Munch Museum. It was during his time spent in Cyprus as a child where Rowan first encountered the lost-wax process of bronze casting. In pursuing this, he began training at the York School of Art in 1969, then went on to attend the Kingston College of Art in London soon after. Rowan’s recognisable sculptures can be seen most notably in the form of the famine installation on Custom House Quay in Dublin city centre, climbing the side of the Dublin Treasury building and the Dolmen installation in Blackrock. His sculptures also stand proud in Ireland Park in Toronto, giving international audiences the chance to marvel at Rowan’s impressive work. For those interested in the lost-wax bronze casting process, and Rowan’s dedication to the craft, the film biography Sculpting Life, centred around his creative process, is essential viewing.
Grainne Watts
Based in Bennettsbridge, ceramic artist Grainne cites the Irish coastline as her main source of inspiration over the years, collecting significant objects that fuel her craft, including flotsam, stones and seaweed. Using porcelain and stoneware clays, Grainne focuses on creating intricate surface details in her sculptures, combining organic geometry, colour and patterns. Initially beginning her artistic journey studying ceramics in Dublin, Grainne was then taken on as an apprentice to Irish potter Geoffrey Healy. From then, her confidence and success has continued to grow. Grainne credits her training as a repetition thrower for her strict discipline, often creating many versions of her ceramics until she lands on the 'right' one. Among many exhibitions, Grainne’s beautiful work has been showcased worldwide, including Barcelona, London, Antwerp, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain and beyond.
Graham Knuttel
The Irish painter and sculptor may be one of Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design’s most notable graduates. Speaking about his influences, Graham lists Cezanne and Picasso as formative figures in his style. He beautifully evokes fear, doubt and hope onto the faces of the subjects of his paintings, with a playful twist of colour and sometimes mischief added in for good measure. Graham includes Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone in his fanbase, along with much adoration overseas, even winning the Royal Canada Trust Award for young sculptors in 1976. He’s also the co-founder of Wicklow Fine Art Press and in 2008, he designed two stamps to commemorate the Summer Olympics. Graham’s stunning artwork can be found in both public and private collections across the globe, including in the Swiss Bank Corporation, Allied Irish Banks, Goldman Sachs International and Saatchi & Saatchi in London.
Eilis O’Connell - Abstract Sculptor
Derry native, Eilis is an abstract sculptor whose wall pieces and free-standing sculptures have gained much-deserved attention and praise around the world. She studied at the Crawford School of Art in Cork, before attending the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston. Her public sculptures can be seen across Ireland and beyond, most notably taking the form of The Great Wall of Kinsale in Cork - which takes the title of the longest sculpture in Ireland at an impressive 179 feet in length. Overseas, Eilis’ sculptures can be seen over Pero’s Bridge in Bristol and at One Curzon Street in Mayfair, London. Also a founder and director of the National Sculpture Factory in Cork, Eilis is a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy and Aosdána. Taking her impressive body of work overseas, Eilis’ sculptures have been displayed at the Biennale de Paris art festival and the São Paulo Art Biennial in Brazil.
Panadol is proud to celebrate The Best Of Irish by recognising Irish people making a difference all over the world.
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