Ronan Walsh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ronan Walsh
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| Born | 15 May 1958 Dublin, Ireland
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| Education | National College of Art and Design |
| Known for | Painter, graphic artist, photographer |
| Movement | Abstract expressionism, expressionism |
Ronan Walsh was born on May 15, 1958. He is a talented artist who represented Ireland at a big art event called Art Junction in Nice in 1988. His artwork has been shown in many places across Europe and North America.
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About Ronan Walsh's Life
Ronan Walsh grew up in Dublin, Ireland. He started painting when he was very young. His father, who was also an artist named Owen Walsh, encouraged him to develop his artistic skills. Ronan was reunited with his father at age sixteen after many years apart.
He had his first art show when he was seventeen years old while living in the Netherlands. After that, he had several solo exhibitions in Dublin. Throughout the 1980s, Ronan traveled, lived, and showed his art in different parts of Europe, using Dublin as his main home. In 1990, he moved to Toronto, Canada, and became a Canadian citizen in 1994. Today, he spends his time living in both Ireland and Canada.
Ronan Walsh's Art Career
Ronan Walsh finished his studies at the NCAD early in 1984. This was because he had already shown his art in popular exhibitions in Dublin and the Netherlands. The poet Edward James supported his early work. While at college, Ronan was taught by the famous artist Sean Scully.
Between 1984 and 1988, Ronan was very involved with the Temple Bar Gallery and Studios and Project Arts Centre in Dublin. These are important places for artists. He showed his work at both and had his studio at Temple Bar Gallery. In 1987, he became the Chairman of Independent Artists. This group was started by his father in 1959 as a different option from the more traditional Royal Hibernian Academy.
Also in 1987, Ronan organized art classes and shows with the Simon Community to help people experiencing homelessness. In the late 1980s, he showed his art with "Le Nouveau Crie Artists Association" in France and Belgium. In 1988, Ronan was chosen to represent Ireland at the Art Junction event in Nice, France.
During the 1990s, Ronan held many art shows, mostly in North America. These included exhibitions at the Jadite Galleries in New York and Bond Latin Art in San Francisco. He also showed his work in Toronto and at Taylor Galleries in Dublin. Ronan has also taught art classes in Canada for several years.
Understanding Ronan Walsh's Art
Ronan Walsh first showed his paintings when he was seventeen. His work caught the attention of major Irish newspapers. His early paintings often showed landscapes with people. They had a dreamy, somewhat abstract, and slightly Surrealist feel. This style was similar to what older Irish artists like Patrick Collins, Louis le Brocquy, and his own father, Owen Walsh, were doing at the time.
After he finished college, his paintings started to change. Instead of dreamy landscapes, he began to paint more clear pictures of city scenes. His early romantic style became more like Expressionism. He used thick paint and sometimes added found objects to his art. People described his painting style as "raw" and "physical." However, his use of color was more like French art than traditional German Expressionism. By the late 1980s, Ronan's work was linked to the Neo-expressionist and Transavantgarde art movements in Europe.
In the 1990s, his art became even more realistic. He also started to focus on natural settings like forests and beaches instead of cities. This focus on nature has continued in his work since the year 2000. He often paints Camargue horses and scenes from the West of Ireland, using them as inspiration and main themes. Recently, he has also returned to a more abstract style, which was part of his earlier work.
When talking about his 2009 show called 'Camargue,' art writer Joanne Savage said that Ronan's art balances between abstract and realistic styles. She compared his work to famous artists like Jack B. Yeats and Willem de Kooning, noting his strong, thick paint and how his feelings come through in his art.
Another art expert, David Moos, also saw a connection to de Kooning. He mentioned Ronan's use of bright colors like red, pink, and orange, and his energetic brushstrokes. Moos said that Ronan Walsh is an artist who is creating his own unique style in the busy world of abstract art today.
Selected Art Exhibitions
Here are some of the places where Ronan Walsh's art has been shown:
- 2011: Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Canada
- 2011: Nicola Rukaj Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2009: Gormleys Fine Art, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- 2008: Galerie d’Olivier, Marseilles, France
- 2007: Bold Art Gallery, Galway, Ireland
- 2006: Miriam Shiell Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 2005: Lee Gallery, Cork, Ireland
- 2004: Art Fair, Dublin, Ireland
- 2001: Gallery Moos, Toronto, Canada
- 2000: Hallward Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
- 1999: De Leon White Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1998: Drabinsky Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1996: Bond Latin Art, San Francisco, USA
- 1996: Jadite Gallery, NYC, USA
- 1996: Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada
- 1992: Riverun Galleries, Dublin, Ireland
- 1989: Gallery Moos, Toronto, Canada
- 1988: Gallery D.C., Ghent, Belgium
- 1988: Nice Art Fair, France
- 1987: Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
- 1986: Centre Cultural L’Aerospatiale, Toulouse, France
- 1985: Lincoln Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
- 1985: Fendersky Art Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- 1980: Celtic Court Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
- 1978: Robinson Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
- 1977: Sachs Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
