The RHA reopened to the public on 10th May and is currently exhibiting work by one of Ireland’s preeminent abstract painters – Sean Scully. Known for his geometric abstraction, Scully has exhibited his award winning work across the world and brings his latest series of work, ‘Eleuthera‘, to Ireland for the first time, following exhibitions in the Albertina, Vienna (2019) and the Contemporary Art Centre, Malaga (2019).
Scully and his family frequently visit the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas during Christmas. In his latest series of works, named after the island, Scully depicts abstract views of his son, Oisín, playing on the beach. This scene which struck a chord with the artist, so much, that he wanted to capture it beyond the means of photography and began painting it and, for the first time since the 1960s, Scully introduced figurative elements into his typically abstract work.
Returning to the figurative after decades of painting purely abstract work has given Scully the ability to communicate palpable emotion through abstract forms and colour.
“The journey influences the picture, which is now a mixture of abstraction and figuration because it is not realism, it is very subjective, very emotional with a strong sense of the material”... Sean Scully
The exhibition is made up of 51 works which are displayed in the Charles Gallagher Gallery of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). Produced between 2015 – 2017, these works include 25 large oil paintings, 10 pastel works, 9 marker drawings and 7 photographic pieces, which offer the viewer an insight into the mind of the artist and his artistic process.
‘Eleuthera’ is running from 10 May – 27 June 2021 at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA). The exhibition was supported by IPUT Real Estate Dublin.
The exhibition is free to view although advanced booking is required – book here.
To see more of Sean Scully’s work please visit his Instagram.