about gillian
aRTIST sTATEMENT
My work centres on the key themes of transformation and escapism. My practice serves to create experiential aesthetically beautiful spaces that offer viewers an opportunity to break from their normal everyday lives, to experience an alternative world of play and protection. My multidisciplinary installations feature hand-made soft organic sculptures, lighting, and audio carefully arranged to unconsciously lead the viewer to physically interact with the art. I am fascinated with using opposing tensions to heighten the visual aspect of the work. While the viewer interacts with the artwork and enjoys a positive, pleasant experience, the visual created by this interaction will often appear austere and unsettling to the onlooker. I am also interested in creating accessible, interactive and viewer centric pieces to challenge the traditional way art is exhibited to the public via the white gallery cube.
My visual art practice explores themes of transformation and escapism, using large-scale works that offer the public exciting new ways to experience and engage with contemporary art. My multidisciplinary immersive installations feature soft organic paper and fabric sculptures, lighting and audio arranged to invite the viewer to briefly escape their everyday routines by entering an alternative wonderland where things are not what they seem. I graduated in 2004 with a first-class honour’s degree in fine art interdisciplinary sculpture. Over the past 10 years I have been developing my practice, exhibiting in Dublin, London and California. In 2019 my participatory installation, ‘Dawn’ was selected for the 4th International Techstyle Art Biennial in San Jose USA. This work was also exhibited in dlr Municipal Gallery. In 2020 my work was shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize Award. I am currently undertaking a postgraduate Masters in Art and Research Collaboration at IADT.
Artist CV
Education:
2022 MA in Art & Research Collaboration, IADT, Dun Laoghaire
2011 Professional qualification in Accounting, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
2004 B.A. (1st Class Hons.) in Fine Art specialising in Interdisciplinary Sculpture, DIT
Solo Exhibitions:
2018 Dawn, Mart Gallery and LIVESTOCK, Dublin, Ireland. Curators Deirdre Morrissey and Francis Fay (LIVESTOCK)
2018 Monthly Exhibition, Lennons @ Visual, Carlow, Ireland
2017 Vogue in the Afternoon, Kilkenny Arts Festival Fringe, Kilkenny, Ireland
2017 Titanium, Mimosa, Carlow Arts Festival Fringe, Carlow, Ireland
2017 Blush, The Pigyard Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
2016 Dabble in Art, The Copperhouse Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2016 Showcase in the Potting Shed, The Old Yard, Kildare, Ireland
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2021 IADT MA Graduate Exhibition, LAB Gallery, Dublin, Ireland. Curator Astrid Newman
2021 Packed, Collaboration with Nicki Crock for, Riffe Gallery, Ohio, USA
2020 Zurich Portrait Prize 2020, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, Ireland
2020 Zurich Portrait Prize 2020, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
2019 Social Commons, Liberty Hall Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Curators Siobh McGrane
and Kathryn Maguire
2019 Stranger than Fiction, Millepiani, Rome, Italy. Curator LoosenArt
2019 Picture Imperfect, Dlr Lexicon Gallery and LIVESTOCK, Dublin, Ireland. Curator Francis Fay (LIVESTOCK)
2019 International TECHstyle Art Biennial IV, SJMQT, San Jose, USA. Curator Amy DiPlacido
2018 Watercolour Society of Ireland Annual Exhibition, Farmleigh House, Dublin, Ireland
2018 Altered, Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, USA. Curators Kathrine Worel and Emmanuelle Namont Kouznetsov (OFFspace)
2018 Femme, VfD – Vogue Fabrics, London, UK. Curator Kat Hudson.
2018 140th Annual Exhibition, Dublin Painting & Sketching Club, Dublin, Ireland
2017 No Fixed Abode, The Copperhouse Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
2017 Fresh Paint, Picton Gallery, Pembrokeshire, UK. Curators Nicky Philipps, Susie Philipps and Chris Newell
2017 Pin Up, Classic Cars West, Oakland Art Murmur, San Francisco, USA. Curators
Kathrine Worel and Emmanuelle Namont Kouznetsov (OFFspace)
2017 Chelsea Fringe Festival, Oxford House, London, UK. Curator Fiona Polard.
2017 Annual Group Exhibition, Green Acres Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
2004 Green Tea, Joint exhibition with John Mayock, Cockleshell Gallery, Wexford, Ireland
2004 Platform 059, Carlow Institute of Technology, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow, Ireland
2004 DIT Fine Art Graduate Show, Portland Row, Dublin, Ireland
Awards:
2021 Street Art & Spectacle Bursary Award 2021, Arts Council of Ireland
2020 Shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize Award, National Gallery of Ireland
2004 Student of Academic Excellence, DIT School of Art, Design & Printmaking
2004 Best Fine Art Student, final year DIT School of Art, Design & Printmaking
Selected Artist Residencies:
2022 Studio Kura Artist in Residence Program, 1-month Residency Japan