Padraig McCaul

 

 

Padraig McCaul is a Dublin born artist who now lives and works on Achill Island, off the Mayo coast. His work is widely collected internationally and at home and is held in many prestigious collections, including the Hottinger Art Collection in London, the President’s office, Notre Dame University, USA, the Haddington Hotel, Dun Laoghaire and the Tannery Restaurant in Dungarvan.

 

He has held numerous sell out exhibitions in Ireland with the Doorway Gallery in Dublin and the Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle, Australia and exhibits regularly at the Affordable Art Fair in London. His work has featured prominently in Eircode‘s national marketing campaign and website. He produces a range of limited edition prints and art cards that are stocked in House of Ireland in Dublin and select outlets along the Wild Atlantic Way, including Carraig Donn.

 

From Achill to Broadway, New York

In 2019 he completed a collection of 20 paintings that were used as the stage backdrops for the contemporary dance drama – Fáinne Óir – written by Mayo composer Kathy Fahy, with choreography by Ciara Sexton, former lead dancer with Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. The show premiered in the Theatre Royal, Castlebar on September 20th 2019 and travelled to New York on 26th September 2019 for it’s American premiere in Symphony Space, Broadway.

McCaul’s paintings are drawn from the untamed landscapes and coastline of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way which has had a profound influence on his work, providing inspiration through the natural beauty and colour of the surrounding landscape. Describing his symbiotic relationship with his adopted home place, Padraig says ‘’It has everything that a landscape artist would want, there is the sea, the mountains, the rolling bog, and the sky and the light that changes every hour of the day. There is no reason to go beyond it, there is so much here to inspire painting’’.

He presents the Irish landscape in a series of colour filled, evocotive images, where broad strokes are preferred to fine detail and where simple, uncluttered compositions allow room for the viewer to get lost in the paintings. Houses, roads, farm buildings, country lanes, all feature strongly in his work. His work has evolved to include more figurative work, primarily based on his own family members, using simple colour filled forms to suggest family. The figures have opened up new possibilities to explore colour and emotion, with a particular emphasis on the warmth of close relationships between family and friends.

 

Padraig shares his passion for painting with an equal passion for music and plays saxophone with the Mayo Concert Orchestra. He is represented  in Dublin by the Doorway Gallery, on South Frederick Street and by a select number of regional galleries along the west coast including the Whitethorn Gallery in Clifden and the Western Light Gallery in Keel, Achill. He runs an annual series of painting workshops on Achill Island between May and August.

 

solo exhibitions

The Design Loft, Enniskerry – 2019

Stories of Home, Kidogo Arthouse, Fremantle, Australia – 2017

When all Roads Lead Home – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin – 2016

Along the Atlantic Way – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin – 2015

Island Life – The Western Light Art Gallery, Keel – 2014

Family Album – Dun Laoghaire Art Gallery, Dublin 2014

Homeland – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin 2013

Still Lives – Dalkey Heritage Centre, Dublin 2012

Still Lives – Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan 2012

Sentinels – The Doorway Gallery, Dublin 2011

COAST – Dalkey Heritage Centre, Dublin, 2010

The Light Of Which I Speak, The Bad Art Gallery, Dublin 2009

Living Colours, Cork and Kerry, The Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Co.Cork 2007

From Clare to Here. Lahinch Art Gallery, Lahinch,Co.Clare 2007

The West of Ireland – Land, Sea and Sky, The Hungry Hill Gallery, Adrigole, Cork 2006

The Blue Loft Gallery, Dublin 2007 (2 person show with Axel Rothoux)

 

selected group shows

London Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, UK 2012 – 2019

London Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead, UK 2011-14

Wexford FRINGE, Whites Hotel 2009 – 2015

Art Source, RDS, Dublin, 2009 – 2019

 

Collections

The Hottinger Art Collection, London

President’s Office, Notre Dame University,USA

Oliveto Restaurant, Dun Laoghaire

Tannery Restaurant, Dungarvan

Embassy of Cyprus, Washington, USA

Embassy of France, Dublin, Ireland

 

artist residencies

Heinrich Boll Cottage, Achill – 2007

Cill Rialig Artist Residency, Kerry – 2021

 

selected media

The Connaught Telegraph – Feature article – 2017

The Western Australian, Perth – Preview, 2017

The Galway Advertiser – Feature interview, 2016

The Mayo News – Feature interview by Ciara Moynihan, 2014

Sunday Independent – Lucinda O’Sullivan review, 2014

Ohio Irish American News, 2011 – Front cover profile/Interview by Susan Magan

RTE Nationwide, 2010 – Interview and Profile

The Dubliner Magazine, 2011 – Review of solo exhibition “Sentinels”

RTE Radio 1, The Arts Show – interview with Vincent Woods, 2009

The Irish Times – interview with Joyce Hickey, March 2009

 

education:

Professional Development for Visual Artists, College of Art and Design, Dun Laoghaire 2006

Higher Diploma in Technology Management, 2002 – Smurfit Business School, UCD

Higher Diploma in Systems Analysis, 1996 – Senior College, Blackrock, Co Dublin

ACCA Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance, 1992

Bachelor of Arts, NUI, Maynooth, Co.Kildare. 1981 – 1985