Biography
Samuel Walsh was born in Wimbledon, London in 1951. He studied at the Limerick School of Art and subsequently took an MA in Fine Art (Painting) at the National College of Art & Design, Dublin. He also holds a NUI Diploma in Philosophy from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. He was elected a member of Aosdána in 1997.He is the founder of the National Collection of Contemporary Drawing in the Limerick City Gallery of Art. Hilary Pyle the Art Historian and critic has called him one of the finest draughtsman in the country. He has received numerous national and international awards, grants, and bursaries. He has lectured at many colleges of art and universities in Ireland.
Walsh’s work is in many Irish public collections including the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin; the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, National Self-Portrait Collection, Limerick; Contemporary Irish Art Society, Department of Foreign Affairs, Aer Rianta, Dublin Airport; Butler Gallery, Kilkenny; Limerick City Gallery of Art, ABN Amro Bank Group, Dublin; UL, UCD, DCU, UCC, & TCD; The Office of the Revenue Commissioners, Dublin, Crawford Gallery, Cork; The John Hunt Collection, Dublin Castle, National Concert Hall, Dublin; Aer Cap, Shannon, Co Clare and the Office of Public Works. He has completed commissions for P.J.Carroll & Co. Ltd and the Arts Council.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2018 ‘Five Paintings’, Limerick City Museum.
2018 Hunt Museum, Limerick.
2017 The Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin.
2014 ‘New Paintings and Some Drawings’, The Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co Clare.
2014 Glance, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
2013 ‘The Seasons’, The Drawing Project, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
2012 Hilsboro Fine Art Gallery, Dublin
2011 The Coercion of Substance VISUAL, Carlow & Highlanes, Drogheda
2011-2012 ‘The Coercion of Substance’, VISUAL, Carlow and tour to the Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, Co. Louth and the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.
2008 Works Based on The Divine Comedy, Limerick City Gallery of Art & France
2007 ‘Frieze’, Ashford Gallery, RHA, Dublin.
2007 Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2007 ‘The Divine Comedy’, Limerick City Gallery of Art (also: 2010: Triskel @ ESB: Caroline St., Cork & 2008: ‘Inferno’, Centre International d’Art Contemporain, Pont-Aven, FRANCE).
2003 Hunt Museum, Limerick
2003 ‘Ambit’, Limerick City Gallery of Art and tour to Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Dublin.
2003/2015 Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare.
2002 Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
2002 ‘Ambit Paintings’, Éigse Arts Festival, Carlow. ‘Small Works on Paper 1985-2001’, Galerie B, Pont-Aven, FRANCE.
2000-2001 ‘Drawings 1982-2000’, O’Rahilly Building, University College Cork.
2000 ‘Fourteen Points of Entry’, (Drawings), St. Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick.
1999 ‘The Solicitari Suite,’ Chris Doswell Gallery, Limerick.
1997/2004 Vangard Gallery, Cork.
1996/1999/2002 Rubicon Gallery, Dublin.
1990 ‘Fourteen Points of Entry’, (Paintings), Kulturzentrum BINZ39, Scoul-Nairs, SWITZERLAND.
1989 ‘The Arena Paintings 1987-1989’, Limerick City Gallery of Art and tour to the Triskel Arts Centre, Cork and the Project Arts Centre, Dublin.
1986 ‘Creation’, Mid-West Arts Association touring exhibition to schools in Limerick and Clare.
1985/2005 University of Limerick.
1984 Triskel Arts Centre, Cork.
1983/1985/1988/1991/1992 Oliver Dowling Gallery, Dublin.
1982/1995 Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick.
1978/1980 Kevin Cummins Gallery, Limerick.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 Art Beijing International Art Exposition, NAE Centre, Beijing, CHINA.
2020 ‘The Moyard Collection’, Station House Gallery, Clifden, Connemara, Co Galway.
2020 ‘Limerick Connections’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2019 ‘Visible Reminders of Invisible Light’, Hunt Museum, Limerick & tour to venues in Ireland and Limerick City Museum.
2019 ‘Press Play’, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin.
2019 ‘In Living Memory’, Emo Court, Co Laois.
2019 ‘Atlantic’, Letterkenny Regional Cultural Centre, Co Donegal.
2019 ‘Youyi’, Hangzhou Library, Hangzhou, and tour to Shanghai and Beijing, CHINA.
2018 ‘Art in Churches’, St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick.
2017 ‘Buzz and Hum’, (with Richard Gorman), Limerick City Gallery of Art. (also: 2018: Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co Cork).
2017 ‘Plates’, Bourn Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick.
2017 VUE Contemporary Art Fair, (Parallel Editions), RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin, (also: 2018/2019).
2016 London Art Fair, (Oliver Sears Gallery), Business Design Centre, Islington, London, ENGLAND.
2016 ‘on paper’, SO Fine Art Editions, Dublin.
2016 ‘Parallel Editions’, Limerick City Gallery of Art, (also: 2017/2020).
2016 ‘Salon’, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, (ongoing).
2016 ‘From Edge to Edge: One Hundred Years of County Clare Art’, Glór, Ennis, Co Clare.
2015 ‘Drawings’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2015 Nord Art, Kuntswerk Carlshütte, Büdelsdorf, GERMANY.
2015 ‘Impressions of W.B. Yeats’, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo.
2015 ‘Celebrating 30 Years’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2015 ‘In Residence’, Oliver Sears Gallery in London, ENGLAND. (also: 2016/2021).
2015 ‘Visions of Now’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2014 ‘Curator’s Choice’, (February), Hunt Museum, Limerick. (also: September 2019).
2014 ‘Synergy’, Bourne Vincent Gallery, University of Limerick.
2014 ‘The Artist’s Eye’, Hunt Museum, Limerick.
2014 2nd SOSE, Glór, Ennis, Co Clare.
2014 246th Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Burlington House, London, ENGLAND.
2014 VUE Contemporary Art Fair, (SO Fine Art Editions), RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin. (also: 2015/2017/2018).
2014 ‘Collecting & Curating’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2013 ‘I go to seek a Great Perhaps’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2013 VUE Contemporary Art Fair, (The Oliver Sears Gallery), RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin, (also: 2014/2018/2019).
2013 Group Show, SO Fine Art Editions, Dublin, (also: 2014-2019).
2012 ‘6×6’, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, New York, USA.
2012 ‘The 5th Birthday Show’, Regional Cultural Centre Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
2012 VUE Contemporary Art Fair, (Hillsboro Fine Art), RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
2012 ‘Rich Terrain’, Roscommon Arts Centre, Co Roscommon.
2012 ‘Sketchbooks’, Graphic Studio, Dublin.
2012 ‘Trasna III’, The Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co Clare. (also: 2013/2015/2016/2018/2020).
2011 ‘Fine Lines’, Limerick City Gallery of Art.
2011 ‘Collecting for Ireland’, Hunt Museum, Limerick.
2011 ‘Drawing Connections’, Siena Art Institute, ITALY.
2010 ‘Made in China’, Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare.
2010 ‘An Ēire of the Senses’, 411 Galleries at Expo, Shanghai and tour of CHINA until 2011.
2009 ‘Drawing Éire’, 411 Galleries, Shanghai and tour to Hangzhou & Beijing, CHINA.
2009 2nd Bangkok Triennale International Print & Drawing Exhibition, Bangkok Art & Culture Centre and tour of THAILAND.
2008 ‘Undercover’, Graphic Studio Dublin.
2008 ‘Winter Salon’, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin.
2007 ‘Céad in China’, 411 Galleries, (invited), Shanghai and tour to Hangzhou & Beijing, CHINA.
2007 ‘Mike Fitzharris Selects’, Lavit Gallery, Cork.
2007 ‘Catching a Likeness’, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.
2007 ‘Made in Ireland’, Irish Embassy, Beijing and tour of CHINA.
2006 ‘Convergence’, The Tolbooth Art Centre, Kirkcudbright, SCOTLAND.
2006 ‘Tribute to Beckett’, Vangard Gallery, Cork.
2006 Annual Group Show, Normoyle/Frawley Gallery, Limerick. (also: 2007/2009/2010).
2005 ‘Drawings’, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin.
2005 ‘Images from North Mayo’, Courthouse Gallery, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo.
2005 ‘BOXiD’, Original Print Gallery, Dublin.
2005 ‘Obsession’, Centre International d’Art Contemporain, Pont-Aven, FRANCE.
2005 12th Hermione Art Exhibition, Alexandra College, Dublin. (also: 2014/2015).
2005 ‘Unseen’, South Tipperary County Museum, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
2005 3rd International Drawing Biennale, Steps Gallery, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA and tour.
2005 ‘D’ici, et d’ailleurs’, Centre International d’Art Contemporain, Pont-Aven, FRANCE.
2004 ‘When We Were Away…’ [with Mike Fitzharris], Limerick Printmakers Gallery, Limerick
2004 ‘In the time of shaking’, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin.
2004 ‘6×6’, 411 Galleries, Hangzhou City, CHINA. (also: 2005 and tour of CHINA and to SINGAPORE).
2004 IV. International Biennial of Drawing, Museum of West Bohemia, Pilsen, CZECH REPUBLIC and international tour. (also: 2015).
2004 ‘Art in Clare’, Civic Offices, Ennis Town Council, Co. Clare.
2003 ‘14 Artists 1 Place,’ Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana, USA.
2003 CASe, Lavit Gallery, Cork. (also: 2017).
2003 ‘Irish Art,’ Walton Gallery, London, ENGLAND.
2003 ‘Is, Was, Will Be,’ Espace Melanie, Riec-sur-Belon, FRANCE.
2003 ‘Distillations,’ Mona Bismarck Foundation, Paris, FRANCE.
2003 2nd International Drawing Competition, Museum of Architecture, Wroclaw and tour of POLAND. (also: 2006)
2002 ‘Line|Exploration’, Lavit Gallery, Cork.
2002 ‘New Art from North Mayo’, Courthouse Gallery, Ballycastle, Co. Mayo.
2001 15th International Triennial of Drawing, Modern Gallery in Rijeka, CROATIA.
2001 ‘As I see myself’, Hunt Museum, Limerick.
2001 Annual Group Exhibition, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin. (also: 2002/2003/2006/2007/2010-2012).
2000 ‘Colour Codes’, Rubicon Gallery, Dublin.