Paul Seawright facts for kids
Paul Seawright is an artist from Northern Ireland, born in 1965. He is a professor of photography and a leader at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. Paul Seawright lives in Belfast, where he was born.
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Paul Seawright's Life and Photography
Paul Seawright studied art at Ulster University in Belfast. He then earned a degree in Photography, Film, and Video from West Surrey College of Art and Design. Later, he completed his PhD at the University of Wales.
Early Work in Belfast
Paul Seawright is famous for his early photographs taken in his hometown of Belfast. One of his most important series is called Sectarian Murder, 1988. For this project, he photographed places where violent acts had happened in Belfast. He showed these pictures alongside old newspaper reports.
By doing this, he wanted to highlight the many ordinary people who were affected by the conflict in Northern Ireland. This period was known as "The Troubles". More than two-thirds of the people who died between 1969 and 1994 were civilians. Seawright's work helped people see the human cost of the violence. He was also the first editor of Source, a photography magazine based in Belfast.
Photography Around the World
More recently, Paul Seawright has taken photos in other parts of the world. He has worked in Afghanistan after the war, in cities across Africa (in a series called Invisible Cities), and in America.
In 2002, the Imperial War Museum in London asked him to create art about the September 11 attacks and the war that followed in Afghanistan. His photographs of old battlefields and areas with landmines have been shown all over the world. Many museums and public collections own his work. His Afghanistan photos are part of a big exhibition at the Imperial War Museums called "Visions of War."
In 2005, the Fotomuseum Antwerp held a large exhibition of his work. They also published a book about his art called Field Notes.
Teaching and Leadership
Paul Seawright has also had an important career in education. He was the Dean of the Newport School of Art, Media and Design. Later, he became a professor of photography at the Belfast School of Art at Ulster University. He led the Belfast School of Art from 2012. In 2016, he became the Executive Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2021, he was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor of Ulster University.
He also served on the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. He was also the Vice President of the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts.
In 2020, Paul Seawright was given an award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He received this honor for his contributions to education and the arts.
Exhibitions
Paul Seawright's work has been shown in many important art exhibitions, including:
- Hidden, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 2003
- Further, Wales at The 50th Venice Bienalle, 2003
- Naughton Gallery, Queens University Belfast 2006
- Field Notes, National Media Museum, Bradford 2007
- How We Are: Photographing Britain, Tate Britain, London 2007
Awards
Paul Seawright has received several awards for his art:
- 1997: Irish Museum of Modern Art Glen Dimplex Art Prize
- 2001: Personal chair by the University of Wales
Collections
His photographs are held in many famous art collections around the world, such as:
- The Tate, London
- International Center of Photography New York
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- British Council
- Arts Council of Ireland Collection
- Art Institute of Chicago
- UK Government Art Collection
TV and Radio Features
Paul Seawright's work and experiences have also been featured on television and radio:
- Afghanistan: Ashes to dust, BBC Radio Wales, BBC World Service (2002) – This 30-minute documentary featured Seawright reporting from Afghanistan. He talked about how more than twenty years of conflict had affected the country and its people.
- Profiles: Paul Seawright by Fintan O'Toole, BBC4 (2003) – A 30-minute documentary about Paul Seawright's life and art.
See also
- List of artists from Northern Ireland
