Awarded the Italian Government Scholarship
Paul Funge was born in Gorey, Co. Wexford and studied at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. During his time at NCAD he was awarded an Italian Government scholarship to study in Florence, he also won many Royal Dublin Society Awards for painting.
Click on the images below to view them within the Collection
Large Landscape With Figure by Paul Funge
Man Lying Crouched On A Mushroom by Paul Funge
Pink Tower by Paul Funge
Portrait of Jim Chapson by Paul Funge
Bull Ring by Paul Funge
Wexford In The Way by Paul Funge
Assisted In The Establishment Of Art Centres
Funge has contributed to the Arts in Ireland in many different ways but he is best known for his portrait paintings and his sitters include Colm Tobin, U2’s Adam Clayton, Frank McGuiness and many ministers and academics. He held his first solo exhibition during The Wexford Opera Festival and has exhibited worldwide in places such as Amsterdam, Murcia, Zamora, Madrid, Santa Barbara and Sao Paolo.
Funge’s career was not based solely as an artist, he was also an important figure within Arts Education. He has taught in many colleges in Ireland and abroad including National College of Art, Clongowes Wood College, Newbridge College, University of California Santa Barbara, Kunsthistorisch Instituut Amsterdam and was director of the Waterford School of Art.
He was one of the main instigators for the establishment of art centres in Ireland and was one of the founder directors of Project Arts Centre, Dublin. He established the Gorey Arts Centre in 1970 and was on the board of directors of the Wexford Arts Centre. He was a founder of the Belltable Arts Centre in Limerick. He ran the Gorey Arts Festival, a three-week summer festival for over 15 years.
Collections
- United Arts Club Dublin
- D.C.U
- Droichead Arts Centre
- National Concert Hall
- National Self-portrait Collection
- Fitzwilliam Collection
- R.T.C Athlone
- Gate Theatre
- Wexford County Council