Kevin Sharkey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin Sharkey
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Sharkey in April 2014
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| Born | 3 June 1961 Dublin, Ireland
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Kevin Sharkey (born 3 June 1961) is an Irish artist, a political activist, and a former television presenter and actor. He tried to become a candidate for the 2018 Irish presidential election, but he later decided not to run.
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Early Life and Discovering Art
Kevin Sharkey was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 3, 1961. He was born to an Irish mother and a Nigerian father. He was adopted and grew up with the Sharkey family in Killybegs, County Donegal.
As a child, Kevin was very active. He was a talented Irish dancing performer, winning 37 medals before he turned 12. He also placed second in the all-Ireland Disco dancing championship when he was 16.
When he was 12, Kevin went into foster care. It was during this time that he found his love for painting. Art became a way for him to escape and express himself. He started his art career at age 30, using oil paints and bright colors.
Kevin Sharkey's Career Journey
Kevin Sharkey has had many different jobs throughout his life. He has worked as a chef, a fisherman, and even a singer-songwriter. He also became a TV presenter.
Television and Music Work
Kevin was Ireland's first bi-racial television presenter on a show called Megamix. He also presented the British music show The Roxy starting in 1987. For a short time, he was also a photographer and a model.
Kevin worked with the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats and the German disco group Boney M.. He wrote songs and melodies for both groups. He wrote the 1989 song "Everybody Wants to Dance Like Josephine Baker" for Boney M.
He also had a small acting role in the TV show Father Ted. He played a priest named Father Shaft in two episodes. In one famous scene, a nun asked him about priests working in Africa. He replied, "Sure I wouldn't know, I'm from Donegal."
Kevin also appeared on the Irish TV series Celebrity Farm. He was the fourth person to leave the show.
Artistic Achievements
Since 1992, Kevin Sharkey has been a full-time artist. His art is known for being abstract and modern, using bright and textured colors. His style is very diverse, meaning his paintings often look quite different from each other.
Many famous people have bought Kevin Sharkey's paintings. The Irish singer Bob Geldof was the first person to buy one of his artworks. Other collectors include the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, and celebrities like Courtney Love and Whitney Houston.
Kevin has shown his art in many cities around the world. These include Dublin, London, Ibiza, Amsterdam, and New York City. In 2007, his exhibition called What Colour Are Kisses? sold out completely in just 48 hours.
One of his paintings, Roisin, raised €26,100 for a charity event called People in Need Telethon in 2008. His art has also appeared in music videos, such as the 2008 hit song "American Boy" by Estelle and Kanye West.
His exhibition Public Enemy Number One toured the world. It featured paintings of famous people in surprising ways. For example, it showed Barack Obama wearing robes made from U.S. flags.
Political Involvement
Kevin Sharkey has also been involved in politics. In 2005, he wanted to challenge Irish law in the European Court of Human Rights. He wanted to make sure that same-sex partnerships were recognized in Ireland. Ireland later made civil partnerships legal in 2011 and same-sex marriage legal in 2015.
In 2013, Kevin joined the political party Sinn Féin. He said he was impressed by the dedication of its deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald TD. However, he left the party in 2016.
In 2016, Kevin spoke out against how much money the Irish government spent on foreign aid. He also shared his views on immigration in Ireland. He wanted to open up discussions about these topics.
In March 2018, Kevin Sharkey announced he would run for the 2018 Irish Presidential Election. His platform was called "Ireland First." He later decided to withdraw from the race.
Personal Life
In 2010, Kevin Sharkey became engaged to his girlfriend, Italian art dealer Carmen Sant Angelo.
In 2016, Kevin faced financial difficulties and was briefly homeless while living in Dublin.
