BIOGRAPHY

Robert Ryan was born in Limerick, and graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 1987. He worked in Copenhagen and London before returning to Ireland in 1994.

Ryan lives and works in Lough Gur, Co Limerick. Lough Gur is a small placid lake, surrounded by rugged limestone hills and deciduous woodland. it has been continuously inhabited since the arrival of Neolithic people five thousand years ago and is of outstanding archaeological significance. Ruins and artefacts from many periods of Irish history have been found there. The evocative qualities of this environment have been a constant source of inspiration for Ryan.

Ryan’s paintings reference the Post-modern, and borrow qualities from European old masters, using traditional characteristics in a modern context. Robert Ryan paints landscape, but his work cannot be described as ‘landscape painting’.

Recent solo exhibitions include Crossings, The McKenna Gallery, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland (2023), Small Works from the Studio, Limerick Museum, Ireland (2022) and Forgotten Existence, Limerick City Gallery, Limerick & The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland (2019).

His work is held in many collections; University of Limerick, National Contemporary Drawing Collection, National Portrait Collection , Office of Public Works, Limerick County Council, Limerick City Gallery, Wexford County Council, and many private collections in Ireland, Europe, America, Asia and Australia.