Keith Wilson RUA
Born in Belfast in 1971, Keith studied at the University of Ulster and Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland. For many years he has created images of places and objects in response to his immediate surroundings. The resulting drawings, paintings and prints relate to very particular sites which are highly specific and personal, yet hopefully universal. Recurring motifs have been ditches, open fields, roads, paths, boundaries and puddles. He is constantly involved in trying to capture the essence of a place and describing how one can retrace one’s footsteps, look again and take time to think, often working ‘in series’ to accentuate this notion of looking again and returning. Keith has taken part in residency programmes in Ireland, the UK, Europe and the United States and his latest work has evolved from a process of moving between direct observation and studio practice in different locations, describing how we might get our bearings when we are away from home, the importance of finding one’s place and reacting to what is right on one’s doorstep. He aims to make the everyday apparent, appreciated and intriguing and is interested in emphasising a stillness and tranquility through his work, ignoring the spectacular and getting closer to the more ordinary aspects of a particular setting. His many awards include the Axa Insurance drawing prize, the Hennessy–Craig Scholarship award, both at the RHA and the Mayo County Council Bursary Award. He was shortlisted for the Golden Fleece Award in Dublin and was commissioned by The Gallery Press to produce a series of images to accompany ‘Wayside Shrines’ by poet Paul Muldoon. Keith has held numerous solo exhibitions and his work has been included in many group shows worldwide, including the American Irish Historical Society, New York, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London and Le Logge in Assisi, Italy. He has been a regular participant in the RHA and RUA annual exhibitions. His paintings and drawings are held in many public and private collections including the EPA, AXA Insurance, AIB, the National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland, Queen’s University, Belfast and the University of Wisconsin. He is a Fellow of the Ballinglen Arts Foundation and a member of the Royal Ulster Academy. He is represented by the Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin.