I grew up in Nenagh, County Tipperary and around the time of my leaving cert my family and I relocated to the countryside in County Clare just outside Limerick City. After graduating from Limerick School of Art and Design 1996, I painted on and off over a number of years between Limerick city and county Clare, where ever my personal life would allow. I am currently based in Co. Wicklow painting full time at my home studio.
I have exhibited in several group and solo exhibitions throughout the years and some worth a mention are being an invited artist by Hamilton Gallery, Sligo to partake in exhibitions, ‘Eva Gore Booth’, ‘Among School Children’, ‘Meditations in Time of Civil War’ and ‘St. Brigids Day’. Some more are invited artist by The Narrow Space Gallery in Clonmel for ‘Hidden Histories’ and by Carrickahowley Gallery, Portland, USA for ‘Bealtaine 2022’.
Some achievements I am happy to mention have been one of 25 shortlisted artists for the John Richardson French Residency award 2023 through Hambly & Hambly Gallery in association with Le Centre Culturel Irlandais and Eamon Colman. I have also been awarded artist residency a couple of times and most recently at Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry. I was one of the winners from the open call winter print exhibition 2022 at Hang Tough Contemporary, Dublin. My work has been selected as cover image for the Sligo Music series for 2022 and 2023. During the pandemic I was winner of the Enlighten 5 artist group initiative and been highly commended and runner up on multiple other submissions to the same project with Hambly and Hambly Gallery at Dunbar House, Enniskillen. I am also happy to have gained gallery representation from 2019 to present with Hambly & Hambly.
My style of painting can be described as abstract expressionistic where my main focus is colour and mark making. I discovered a passion for colour during the pandemic which has taken my work through a significant new direction. My paintings have been described by many as bright and uplifting and compositionally like maps from an elevated viewpoint. My inspirations come from a lot of different places and they vary between what’s happening in my life, to the regular walks I take out in the landscape that surround me and other times I’m inspired by the astrological wonders of the universe that can often preoccupy my thoughts.
If you would like to know more about me and my work, follow this link to an essay written by well-respected Áosdana member Eamon Colman.
Exhibitions
Currently
St. Brigid’s Well, Invited Artists – Hamilton Gallery, 4 Castle St. Sligo, 2023
Solo Shows
Wanderings – Easter Snow Gallery (Seamus Ennis Arts, TSEAC), Naul, Fingal, Co. Dublin, 2022
A Way to Equilibrium – Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow 2021
Imagine – Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, 2021
Solace II– Entering the Dream– Ranalagh Arts Centre, Dublin, 2018
Solace I – Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow, 2017
Urban Trail – (FKA) Frame Gallery, Upper Denmark St. Limerick, 2007
Plane Series – Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin 1998
Group Shows
St. Brigid’s Well, Invited Artists – Hamilton Gallery, 4 Castle St. Sligo, 2023
Winter Print Show – Hang Tough Contemporary, 4 Exchequer St, Dublin, D02 HX95, December
Hidden Histories, The Narrow Space Gallery, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, July 2022
Bealtaine 2022, Carrickahowley Gallery, 34 Gray St., Portland, ME 04112, USA, May 2022
Three Rooms, Hyde Bridge Gallery, Yeats Building, Hyde Bridge, Sligo, F91 DVY4, 2022
St. Brigid’s Well, Invited Artists – Hamilton Gallery, 4 Castle St. Sligo, 2022
22nd Annual, SAS Members Exhibition- Signal Arts Center, Bray, Wicklow, 2022
Enlighten 2021 June– Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, 2021
Meditations of Time in Civil War Invited Artists – Hamilton Gallery, 4 Castle Street, Sligo, 2021
Imagine Beyond 2021 Annual– Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, 2021
21st Annual, SAS Members Exhibition- Signal Arts Center, Bray, Wicklow, (Online), 2021
Weapon of Choice– Slow Lane Gallery (AKA Inspire Gallery), Dublin (Online), 2020
Solo Ensemble- Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, (Online), 2020
Westival 2020– Westival Virtual Gallery (Moved online due to COVID 19), Westport, Mayo, 2020
Among School Children– Invited Artists, Hamilton Gallery, 4 Castle Street, Sligo (Online), 2020
Imagine Together: Artists Unlocked – Group Show at Hambly & Hambly, Dunbar House, Enniskillen, 2020
20th Annual SAS, Members Exhibition– Signal Arts Center, Bray, Wicklow, (Moved online due to COVID 19), 2020
Eva Gore Booth – Hamilton Gallery Sligo, externally exhibited at the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), UCD, Dublin, 2020
Wicklow Artists: A Gathering – Pop-up Gallery La Touche Place, Wicklow, 2018 and 2019
16th Annual SAS Members Exhibition – Signal Arts Centre, Wicklow, 2015
Celebrating Motherhood – Gallery 75, Limerick – 2007
Eclectic – Tipperary Institute, Tipperary, 2007
Light Captured – Gallery 75, Limerick, 1997
Gallery Representation
Hambly & Hambly Gallery at Dunbar House, Enniskillen, NI
The Boat Yard Gallery, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Residency Awards
March 2022 – The Cill Rialaig Project, Artist’s Retreat, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry.
June 2007 – The Cill Rialaig Project, Artist’s Retreat, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry.
Derval Freeman 