Capturing the Essence of a Place

Born 1971, Northern Ireland. Keith Wilson studied at Methodist College, Belfast, the University of Ulster and at Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, gaining an Honours Degree in Visual Communication and a further Postgraduate Diploma in Illustration.

For many years he has created images of places and objects in response to his immediate surroundings. The resulting drawings, paintings and prints relate to very particular sites which are highly specific and personal, yet hopefully universal. Some recurring motifs have been ditches, open fields, roads, boundaries and puddles. He is constantly involved in trying to capture the essence of a place and describing how one can retrace one’s footsteps, look again and take time to think, often working ‘in series’ to accentuate this notion of looking again and returning.

More recently he has been involved with many residency programmes in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the U.S. and has continued to investigate and remain aware of his environment. The last major exhibition of his work consisted of descriptions of places around his home and garden. His latest work has continued this notion; how we get our bearings when we are away from home, the importance of finding one’s place, and reacting to what is right on one’s doorstep. Recent exhibitions have highlighted pieces that have evolved from a process of moving back and forth between direct observation and studio practice in these many different locations.

Click on the images below to view ‘North Mayo Pair 2’ and ‘North Mayo Pair 5’ within the Collection

Placing Emphasis on Stillness & Tranquility

He aims to make the everyday apparent, appreciated and intriguing and is interested in emphasising a stillness and tranquility through his work, ignoring the spectacular and getting closer to the more ordinary aspects of a particular setting. His paintings and drawings come together slowly over time. He often describes their development as ‘growing’.

His many awards include the Axa Insurance drawing prize (2005) and the Hennessy-Craig Scholarship award (2006), both at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin and in 2010 the Mayo County Council Bursary Award. In 2008 he was shortlisted for the Golden Fleece Award in Dublin and in 2009 was commissioned by The Gallery Press to produce a series of images to accompany ‘Wayside Shrines’ by poet Paul Muldoon.He has been artist in residence twice at the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, the Ballinglen Arts Foundation and Artestudio Ginestrelle in Assisi, Italy and has also been a returning visiting artist to the University of Wisconsin and TASIS England.

Keith has held numerous solo exhibitions, showed extensively throughout Ireland and his work has been included in many group shows in the UK, Europe and the United States. He has also been invited to give many public talks on his work. In 2012 he held a successful solo exhibition at the Oliver Sears Gallery in Dublin, exhibited at the American Irish Historical Society, New York, was an invited artist to the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition in London, the National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland at the University of Limerick and also to the prestigious Le Logge in Assisi, Italy. A recent U.S. exhibition of a collaborative ̇ print project has been a great success and a limited edition portfolio of prints is to be released in the near future. His paintings and drawings are held in many public and private collections worldwide including the collections of the EPA, AXA Insurance, AIB, the National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland, Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Wisconsin.

He is currently working towards a second solo exhibition at the Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin in 2015, a show in Lisburn City Library in Northern Ireland in 2014 as well as many other projects. 2013 has also seen a returning residency in Italy. He is a Member of the Royal Ulster Academy and a Fellow of the Ballinglen Arts Foundation.

Biography

• Born, Belfast, Northern Irreland, 1971
• Postgraduate Diploma in Design (Illustration), Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, 1994-95
• BA(Hons) in Visual Communications (illustration), Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, 1991-94
• Foundation Course in Art & Design, University of Ulster, Belfast, 1989-90

Solo- Exhibitions

• ‘A Change in the Air’, New paintings and drawings, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, 2012
• ‘Selected Works’, Madeline Cohen Gallery, Community College of Philadelphia, USA, 2011
• ‘Drawings and Paintings from Wayside Shrines’, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Isle of Wight, England, 2011
• ‘Paintings and Drawings’, Recent Work, Courthouse Gallery, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo, 2009
• ‘From the Gardens’, New Paintings and Drawings, cavehill Gallery, Belfast, 2008
• ‘Time to Think;, New Paintings and Drawings, Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford, 2006
• Paintings and drawings, Cavehill Gallery, Belfast, 2005
• ‘New Work’, Ashford Gallery, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2004
• ‘New Paintings’, Eigse , Invited artist, Carlow, 2004
• ‘Mixed Media Works’, TASIS, The American School in England, Surrey, England, 2003
• ‘Recent Work’, Lavitt Gallery, Cork City, 2003
• ‘A Year in Balinglen’, Lavit Gallery, Cork City, 2001
• ‘Work in Progress’, Courthouse Gallery, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo, 1999
• ‘Along the Path’, Exhibition of paintings and handmade books, Seymour Gallery, Lisburn, 1996

Selected Group Exhibitions

• Hermione Art Exhibition, Alexandra College, Dublin, 2014
• Visiting Artist, Grephic Studio, Dublin, 2014
• Seacourt Print Workshop Open Studio Exhibition, Bangor, Co. Down, 2013
• Invited Artist Christmas Exhibition, Cavehill Gallery, Belfast, 2013
• ‘Vue’, Oliver Sears Gallery, and SO Fine Art Editions, RHA, Dublin, 2013
• Ginestrelle Artists in Residence Invited Artist Exhibition 2013, Le Logge, Assisi, Italy, 2012
• SO Fine Art Editions launch exhibition, Dublin, 2013
• ‘Encounters’, Art of the State, annual Office of Public Works exhibition, travelling to Lisburn, Cork, Londonderyy, and Limerick, 2013
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection Exhibition, Newry City Library, Newry, Co. Down, 2013
• Hermione Art Exhibition, Alexandra College, Dublin, 2013
• ‘Another Place’, UW Milwauke Libraries as part of Southern Graphics Council International 2013, USA, 2013
• The Artist in Rural Ireland Fund auction in aid of the Ballinglen Arts Foundation, 2013
• A Sense of Place’, Ballinglen Collection, Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, 2012
• Sketchbooks’, Graphic Studio, Dublin! Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Cavehill Gallery, Belfast, 2012
• RUA, War on Want NI at River House, Belfast, 2012
• ‘Hibernation’, Oliver Sears Gallery, RHA, Dublin, 2012
• ‘Vue’, Oliver Sears Gallery, RHA, Dublin, 2012
• Ginestrelle Artists in Residence Invited Exhibition 2012, Le Logge, Assisi, ltaly, 2012
• ‘The Other Place’, with Bob Erickson, Scarabocchio Art Museum, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA, 2012 ‘RADHARC’, 6 contemporary painters from Ireland, American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA, 2012
• Invited Artist, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, 2012
• Royal Ulster Academy at the Glebe Gallery, Co.Donegal, 2012
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2012
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2012
• Contemporary Art from Northern Ireland, ACNI Collection, ‘Brussels Platform’,Brussels, Belgium, 2012
• ‘Vue’, Oliver Sears Gallery, RHA, Dublin, 2011
• Ginestrelle Artists in Residence Invited Artists Exhibition 2011, Assisi, ltaly, 2011
• ‘Black and White’, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, 2011
• ‘Art London’, Oliver Sears Gallery, London, 2011
• RUA, ‘War on Want NI at the OBG’, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast, 2011
• ‘The Other Place’, Printmaking collaboration with Robert Erickson, Wisconsin, USA, 2011
• Monoprint ‘11, ‘A Gathering of Artists’, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, USA, 2011
• ‘Artists from Monoprint 2011’, Scarabocchio Art Museum, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA, 2011
• ‘Box ID Round Three’, Black Church Print Studio, Dublin, 2011
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2011
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2011
• Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London! RUA at the Graffan Gallery, Castle Espie, Co. Down, 2011
• ‘Life Room, Drawings from the RHA Thursday Sessions’, Bourn Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick, 2011
• ‘Now and Then’, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, 2010
• Ginestrelle Artists in Residence Invited Artists Exhibition 2010, Sala Pinacoteca, Assisi, ltaly, 2010
• Mullan Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2010
• Cavehill Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2010
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2010
• Wexford Opera Invited Artists Exhibition, Wexford, 2010
• The Wilde Gallery, Limepark, Invited Artists Exhibition, Co. Antrim,2010
• Mullan Gallery Summer Exhibition, Belfast, 2010
• RUA ‘On the Road’, Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart, Co. Antrim,2010
• ‘Monochrome’, Lavit Gallery, Cork, 2010
• Eigse Carlow Retrospective 2010, Visual Centre for Contemporary Arts, Carlow, 2010
• Boyle Arts Festival 21st Anniversary Exhibition, King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon, 2010
• Mullan Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2009
• Cavehill Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2009
• Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition, Wexford, 2009
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2009
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast, 2009
• Monoprint ‘09, ‘A Gathering of Artists’, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, USA, 2009
• Hunt the Postcard ‘09, Hunt Museum, Limerick, 2009
• Mullan Gallery, Belfast, 2009
• ‘From Ballinglen to Cork’, Ballinglen Archive Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork, 2009
• ‘Box ID’, Black Church Print Studio, Dublin, 2009
• Wayside Shrines’, images to accompany poems by Paul Muldoon, Gallery Press, Co. Meath, 2009
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection Exhibition, Carnegie Library, Bangor, Co. Down, 2009
• Seacourt Print Workshop Christmas Exhibition, Bangor, Co. Down, 2008
• Cavehill Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast! Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2008
• Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition, Wexford, 2008
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast, 2008
• Boyle Arts Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Co. Roscommon, 2008
• Slice’, Tripod3 Invited Artists Exhibition, Galway, 2008
• ‘Undercover’, Graphic Studio Dublin, Dublin, 2008
• Arts Council of Northern Ireland Collection Exhibition, Ballymoney Town Hall, Co. Antrim, 2008
• Fenton Gallery December Exhibition, Cork, 2007
• Mullan Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2007
• Cavehill Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2007
• ‘32,000 Years’, Pallas Contemporary Arts Painting Exhibition, Dublin, 2007
• Royal Hibernian Academy Gala Banquet Exhibition, Dublin, 2007
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast, 2007
• Mullan Gallery Summer Exhibition, Belfast, 2007
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2007
• Wexford Opera Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Wexford, 2007
• ‘Returning’, Hennessy Craig Scholarship Award Winners Exhibition, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, 2007
• Cavehill Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2006
• Solomon Gallery Summer Exhibition, Dublin, 2006
• ‘Collectibles 06’, Solomon Gallery, Dublin, 2006
• Royal Hibernian Academy Gala Banquet Exhibition, Dublin, 2006
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2006
• ‘Hunt the Postcard’, Hunt Museum, Limerick, 2006
• Boyle Arts Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Co. Roscommon, 2006
• Lilla Europa 06, Invited Artists Exhibition, Hallsberg, Sweden, 2006
• Mullan Gallery Summer Exhibition, Belfast, 2006
• Fenton Gallery, Cork City, 2006
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast, 2005
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2005
• Ashford Gallery Invited Artists End of Year Painting Show, Dublin, 2005
• Solomon Gallery Christmas Exhibition, Dublin, 2005
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2005
• Ashford Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Dublin, 2004
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2004
• Lilla Europa Invited Artists Exhibition, Hallsberg, Sweden, 2004
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Belfast, 2004
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2004
• Boyle Arts Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Co. Roscommon, 2004
• Wexford Arts Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Rosslare, Co. Wexford, 2004
• Solomon Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Dublin, 2003
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2003
• Two Person Exhibition with Colin Crotty, Gallery One Contemporary Art, Kilkenny, 2003
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2003
• ‘Iontas Small Works’, Sligo Art Gallery, Portadown Millenium Centre, Limerick Arts Centre, 2003
• Boyle Arts Festival Invited Artists Exhibition, Co. Roscommon, 2003
• Ballinglen: The Artist in Rural Ireland’, Castlebar General Hospital, Co. Mayo, 2003
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2003
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2002
• ‘Aisling Gael’, Ballinglen Archive Selection, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, 2002
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Ely Place, Dublin, 2002
• Lilla Europa Invited Artists Exhibition, Hallsberg, Sweden, 2002
• BBC Invited Artists Winter Exhibition, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, 2002
• Fenton Gallery Invited Artists Winter Exhibition, Cork City, 2001
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas ,Exhibition, Belfast, 2001
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2001
• Iontas Small Works’, Sligo Art Gallery; Ormeau Baths Gallery,Belfast; Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork , 2001
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Summer Exhibition, Belfast, 2001
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2001‘
• Passages from Ballinglen’, List Gallery, Swarthmore College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 2001
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 2000
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2000
• Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, Dublin, 2000
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 1999
• ‘Iontas Small Works’, Sligo Art Gallery; Limerick Arts Centre; Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast, 1999
• BBC Invited Artists Winter Exhibition, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast, 1998
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 1998
• ‘Iontas Small Works’, Sligo Art Gallery; RHA, Dublin; Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast, 1998
• Cavehill Gallery Invited Artists Christmas Exhibition, Belfast, 1997
• Ulster Arts Club National Small Works Exhibition, Belfast, 1997
• Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 1997
• ‘Iontas Small Works’, RHA, Dublin; Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast; West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, 1997
• ‘The Moyne Walk’, Handmade book with M.Anderson & L.Glob, t. Garner Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland, 1996
• ‘London Artists’ Book Fair’, Barbican Centre, London, 1996
• Ulster Arts Club National Small Works Exhibition, Belfast, 1996
• ‘Second Sight in the Highlands’, Highland Printmakers Gallery, Inverness, Scotland, 1996
• BBC Invited Artists Winter Exhibition, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast,1995
• ‘ 250 years since the Battle of Culloden,’ Highland Printmakers Gallery, Inverness, Scotland, 1995
• ‘Wordworks’, Highland Printmakers Gallery, Inverness, Scotland, 1995

 Residencies/Commissions/Visiting/Other professional roles

• Visiting Artist at Graphic Studio, Dublin, 2014
• Residency at RHA Studios, Dublin, January to July, 2014
• Public talk and drawing workshop. Culture Night 2013 at The Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo, 2013
• Residency at Artestudio Ginestrelle, Assisi, Italy, April-June, 2013
• ‘Returning’, Public talk at RUA, River House, Belfast, 2013
• Tour of RUA Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 2012
• ‘Observation and Memory Drawing Class”, Ulster Museum, Belfast during RUA Annual Exhibition, 2012
• Public talk at Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin during ‘A Change in the Air” solo exhibition, 2012
• Landscape’, Class at Newtownbarry House, Co. Wexford, September, 2011
• Gathering of Artists Monoprint 2011 event, workshop and exhibition in Carlsten Gallery, UWSP Informal discussions with final year students, 2011
• Printmaking collaboration with Robert Erickson, Wisconsin, USA, May-August, 2011
• Residency at Artestudio Ginestrelle, Assisi, Italy, April, 2011
• Residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Co. Monaghan, 2010
• Commissioned by Gallery Press to produce images to accompany ‘Wayside Shrines’, a limited edition publication of two new pieces by Paul Muldoon, 2009
• Residency at RHA Studios, Dublin, February to May. Incorporating final display and exhibition, 2009
• Gathering of Artists Monoprint 2009 event, workshop and exhibition in Carlsten Gallery, UWSP, Informal discussions with final year students, 2009
• ‘The Pursuit of Silence’, Unbroadcast radio documentary for RTE1, Visiting Artist invitation by Seacourt Printmakers, Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland, 2008
• Public talk at Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda during ‘Returning’ group exhibition, University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, WI, Visiting artist in discussions with final year students. Also holding a public lecture, 2007
• Ulster Television interview at The Mullan Gallery, Belfast, 2006
• TASIS, The American School in England, Surrey, Working with students in portfolio discussions and class lectures, 2003
• Co-directing school printmaking programmes at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo, 2001-2005

Awards

• Elected Full Member of the Royal Ulster Academy, 2010
• Mayo County Council Bursary Award for Tyrone Guthrie Centre Residency, 2010
• Shortlisted, Golden Fleece Award, Dublin, 2008
• Elected Associate Member of the Royal Ulster Academy, 2006
• Winner, Hennessy-Craig Scholarship Award, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2006
• Winner, Axa Insurance Drawing Award, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2005
• Shortlisted, Hennessy-Craig Scholarship Award, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2003
• Winner, Charles Brady Memorial Award, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2002
• Fellowship, The Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo, 1999
• Cavehill Gallery Invitation Award, Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast, 1997
• Andrew Grant Bequest for Postgraduate Studies, Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, 1995

Collections

• National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland, Limerick
• Electricity Supply Board Collection, Ireland
• Carlow Town Council, Carlow
• Queen’s University, Belfast Collection
• Royal Ulster Academy Diploma Collection
• University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA
• Environmental Protection Agency Collection, Ireland
• Contemporary Irish Arts Society Collection
• Bank of Montreal Collection
• Boyle Civic Art Collection, Co. Roscommon
• Office of Public Works Collection, Ireland
• Axa Insurance Art Collection, Ireland
• Allied Irish Bank Collection, Ireland
• Wexford County Council Art Collection
• The Arts Council of Northern Ireland
• The Ballinglen Archive, The Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo
• Department of Environment, Northern Ireland
• Private Collections in Ireland, Britain, Europe, America, and Australia

 

Websites:  

www.keithwilson.co.uk

www.royalulsteracademy.org

www.oliversearsgallery.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keith-Wilson-Artist/102973963227123