Daphne Wright facts for kids

Daphne Wright (born 1963) is an Irish visual artist. She creates amazing artworks, often called sculptural installations. These are like art pieces you can walk around and experience. Daphne uses many different materials and techniques to explore feelings and ideas that people might not always talk about.

Her recent art shows have been all over the world. These include Hotspot in Rome, Italy, and Daphne Wright: Prayer Project in the USA. She also showed her work in Athens, Greece, and Lisbon, Portugal. Daphne also helped organize an exhibition called The Ethics of Scrutiny at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2018. She has won several important awards, like the Paul Hamlyn Award. She is also a member of Aosdána, which is a group of top Irish artists.

About Daphne Wright's Life

Daphne Wright was born in 1963. Her hometown is County Longford, which is in Ireland.

Her Art Education

Daphne studied art at several places. From 1981 to 1985, she went to the Atlantic Technological University, Sligo. Then, from 1985 to 1987, she studied at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin. Later, between 1989 and 1991, she attended Newcastle-upon-Tyne Polytechnic in England.

What Daphne Wright's Art is About

Daphne Wright's art often explores different stages of life. She looks at the changes between childhood and being an adult. She also thinks about the spaces between life and death.

How She Creates Her Art

Daphne uses many different materials and methods. She works with plaster, tin foil, and even video. She also uses printmaking and everyday objects she finds. Sometimes, she even includes performances in her art. Her creations often feel beautiful and a little bit mysterious. They can make you feel like you are at the edge of something new.

Recent Artworks

Some of Daphne's most recent art was shown in exhibitions called A quiet mutiny in 2019 and A quiet mutiny - persists in 2020. In these shows, she made familiar things from daily life look strange and wonderful. She used objects like baby strollers, houseplants, and even a fridge. She also included a child's drawing.

Daphne often uses dry, unfired clay in her sculptures. This makes her art feel both familiar and very delicate. She chooses objects that are only important for a short time in our lives.

Famous Sculptures

Daphne has made many well-known sculptures. One is Kitchen Table (2014). This piece is a special cast of her two sons, two chairs, and a table. Another famous sculpture is Stallion (2009). This is a cast of a dead horse, made from marble dust and a special type of glue.

Video Art

Daphne also creates video art. Some of her notable video works include Is everyone OK? (2019), Song of Songs (2019), and I know what it's like (2012).

Art Exhibitions

Daphne Wright's art has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions. These shows have taken place in Britain and around the world.

Recent Exhibitions

Here are some of her recent exhibition highlights:

• 2022: Hotspot at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome.
• 2021: Portals in Athens, Greece. This was a special collaboration.
• 2020: A quiet mutiny - persists at Frith Street Gallery in London (this was a solo show). Also, Infinite Sculpture at the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon.
• 2019: Daphne Wright: a quiet mutiny at Crawford Art Gallery in Cork (another solo show).
• 2017: Daphne Wright: Prayer Project at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts (a solo exhibition). Also, Emotional Archaeology at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin (solo).
• 2016: Emotional Archaeology at Arnolfini, Bristol (solo).

Art in Collections

Daphne Wright has also created large art pieces for public spaces. Her work is part of many art collections around the world. Some of these include:

• 'Still life' at Hanbury Hall, Worcester.
• 'Plura' at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) in Dublin.
• 'Stallion' at VISUAL Carlow, Ireland.
• 'Home Ornaments' in Gorbals, Glasgow.
• 'Prayer Project' in Derby.
• 'Garden of Reason' at Ham House and Garden, Richmond.

Her art can also be found in the collections of major museums. These include the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Crawford Art Gallery, and the Gallery of Modern Art. Her work is also in the National Gallery of Ireland and the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Germany.

Awards and Recognition

Daphne Wright has received many important awards and fellowships for her art. These include:

• The Henry Moore Foundation Fellowship.
• The British School at Rome Award in Sculpture.
• The 1996 Paul Hamlyn Award.