Abigail O'Brien DFA (hon. caus.), PRHA | |
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| Born | 1957 (age 67–68) Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | NCAD, Dublin |
| Alma mater | NCAD, Dublin |
| Known for | Photography, sculpture, video, handmade objects, 3D printing, inflatables, sound |
| Notable work | With Bread, The Last Supper, Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, Justice, The Rag Tree Series, Airfix Days, Peter The Painter, Look Who's Coming To Dinner, Love Tokens, The Silk Route Series, Bella |
| Style | Contemporary |
| Elected | Royal Hibernian Academy |
| 24th Royal Hibernian Academy President | |
| Assumed office October 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Mick O'Dea PPRHA |
| Board member of | National Gallery of Ireland |
Abigail O'Brien,PHRA,(born 1957 in Dublin,Ireland) is a contemporary Irish artist and the first female president of the Royal Hibernian Academy [1] since its establishment in 1823. O'Brien's work explores themes such as ritual,rites of passage,and the domestic realm. [2] [3] O'Brien is best known for her multi-media installations featuring photography,video,sculpture,3D printing,sound,inflatables,embroidery and handmade objects.
O'Brien has received numerous awards and exhibited her work internationally. Her work is in private and public collections including The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)(,Dublin,The Caldic Collection,Rotterdam,The Museum of Modern Art,Vienna,The Kuntsmuseum Den Haag,The Netherlands,and The Kriegel Foundation New York.[ citation needed ] O’Brien lives and works in Ireland.
Born 1957 in Dublin,Ireland,one of four children, [4] O'Brien began her career as an artist as a mature student receiving her education in Ireland's National College of Art and Design.[ citation needed ] Awarded Student of the Year,O'Brien achieved a BA in Fine Art in 1995 and was later awarded with an MA in Fine Art Painting from The National College of Art and Design,Dublin in 1998.
O'Brien's work,"The Last Supper",from her series on the seven Catholic sacraments,was bought by the Irish Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection in 1996,just a year after her graduation. [5]
Through much of her work,O'Brien observes perceived gender roles,ritual domesticity and the role of women in society.[ citation needed ] O'Brien is known for collections of work including With Bread (2013) which examines the role of bread in daily lives and The Seven Sacraments (1996–2004) is a series of works reflecting on the Catholic Sacraments. [6] The Cardinal Virtues - Fortitude (2005),Temperance (2009), [7] Prudence (2017) and Justice (2021) see O'Brien explore the Cardinal Virtues through a contemporary lens. Other noted collections include The Silk Road Series (2015–2016),The Rag Tree Series,Bella (2006–2007),Peter the Painter (2016),Love Tokens (2020),Airfix Days (2012),Salt Fields.[ citation needed ]
O'Brien's noted individual works include Natural Wax (1995–2017), [8] Bonsai,With Love Cologne,India,Four under Three,Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,Sic Juro (2011). Collaborations include How to Butterfly a Leg of Lamb (video installation) and Black Sole Bonne Femme,with artist Mary Mc Kenna,in 1999 and 2002 respectively. [9] [10]
O'Brien has also participated in multiple group exhibitions internationally including in Germany,Austria,Belgium,US,Mexico,Poland,China and the UK. [11]
O'Brien has won several awards for her work,including the Arts Council (Ireland) awards in 1996,1997,1998,2014 and 2014,The Solomon Sculpture Prize 2008,Culture Ireland Exhibition Bursary in 2005 /2008,and the Cultural Relations Committee of Ireland Award 2003. [12]
O'Brien was first elected a Full Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) in 2010,and elected as secretary of the academy from 2012 until 2017, [13] the first time a female artist had held this position. She secured another "first" when elected as president of the academy for the 2018–2023 term. [14] As RHA President,O’Brien is also an ex-officio Member of the Board of the National Gallery of Ireland [15] and an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Scotland [16]
In 2019,O'Brien received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts [5] from the National University of Ireland as well as the Woman of the Year Award for the Arts area from the Irish Tatler magazine. [17] in recognition of her work in the arts in Ireland.
O'Brien is a sister of businessman Denis O'Brien. [18] She lives and works in County Louth,Ireland, [19] and is married to Hugh Bradley. [20]
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