Pauline Flynn, Visual Artist/Poet
BIOGRAPHY
Pauline Flynn was raised in the village of Donard, Co. Wicklow and began her studies at Dunlaoghaire School of Art & Design in 1979 that followed the ethos of The Bauhaus. She has always been interested in pure abstraction and the work she has returned to after a ten year break from exhibiting, 2008-2018, embraces this form. During the break she began to write poetry and she now works both as a painter and a poet. She has travelled widely and the most important influence on her life and work has been the years she lived in Japan as a scholarship student from in the late 80’s, early 90’s. She has exhibited throughout Ireland, in the UK,USA , Japan and China and most recently was selected for the 9th Beijing International Art Exhibition 2022
NEW WORK
'Riband' is a new series of paintings I’m working on. The starting point for these paintings were a few military medal ribbons in Limerick Museum. In the past I worked on Japanese hand made paper mounted on board. My new work is all on canvas – new surface and one I am enjoying. The form is geometric abstraction and each shape in the paintings is layered to get the quality of intense colour that I like.
In 2020 I began exploring stripes and bands on small canvases 32x25 cm by dividing the canvas in two, painting stripes on the upper half and bands on the lower. Then I investigated the shapes of the fabric onto which the medals are attached i.e. half circle, half oval, triangle, trapezoid. With these shapes the paintings began to evolve in such a way that they became modular. I continue to work with these 5 shapes. This subject and the way it has progressed over the last two years continues to give and give and I can see endless possibilities while still staying true to the starting point.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
UCD, MA in Creative Writing, Thesis Song of the Uguisu, poetry collection. 2009/10
UCD, MA in History of Art. Thesis – “The Japanese Kite as a Contemporary Art Form. 1992/
Shiga University Japan, Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Research Scholarlship student. 1991/2
Kyoto University of Art, Japan, Japanese Ministery of Education Research Scholarship Student. 1987-1989
NCAD Exchange student to the Art Institute of Chicago. 1985
NCAD, BA in Fine Art Sculpture and History of Art – The Dancetheater of Wuppertal, Pina Bausch. 1981-1985
Dunlaoighe School of Art & Design. 1079-1981
Employment Part-time lecturer NCAD, 1992-2008
Awards/Residencies
Agility Award, The Arts Council. 2021
Words Ireland/Poetry Ireland Mentoring Award with poet Grace Wells. 2017
Short listed for the Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Prize. 2010
Fundacion Valpariso, Mojacar, Almeria, Spain. 1998
Botanic Gardens, Dublin with ARTCORE. 1996-1998
Special exchange Programme to Japan from German/Japan Centre, Berlin
and Japanese Ministry of ForeignAffairs. 1991/92
Tyrone Guthrie Centre exchange to Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts USA. 1990
Mombusho (Japanese Ministry of Education scholarship to Kyoto University of Art. 1987-1989
Bursary Award, Irish Exhibition of Living Art (IELA). 1986
NCAD Exchange programme to School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 1985
Selected Solo Exhibitions
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Damer House Gallery, Roscrae, Co Tipperary 2023
Limerick Museum 2023
Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick. 2007
Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Co. Laoise.
Downshire Gallery, Co. Wicklow. 2006
Peppercannister Gallery, Dublin. 2003
Bourn Vincent Gallery, Limerick University. 2004
Mermaid Arts Centre, Co. Wicklow
Peppercannister Gallery, Dublin. 2000
Featured Artist, Eigse Arts Festival, Carlow. 2001
Touring Exhibition. 1995/96
Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Limerick City Gallery, Galway Arts Centre
Green on Red Gallery, Dublin. 1993
Oliver Dowling Gallery, Dublin
Gallery Saoh, Tokyo, Japan. 1992
Project Arts Centre, Dublin.1990
Bokushin Gallery, Ginza, Tokyo, Japan 1988
Gallery Beni, Kyoto, Japan
Seibu Department Store, Tokyo
Selected Group Exhibitions
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Lavit Gallery Cork, 2023
The Mermaid, Bray, Wicklow, 21st Anniversary Show, 2023
The Lexicon Dunlaoghaire Summer Show, 2023
New Yin Art, 12 women artists, Firkin Crane-Dance Cork, January 2023
9th Beijing International Biennale, National Museum of China. 2022
Artform Annual Exhibition 44 The Quay, Waterford. 2021
Youyi group exhibition in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing. 2019/20/21
Beijing Art Fair, 2021
Group Touring Exhibition, Shanghai, China. 2008
Embassy of Ireland, Beijing, China. 2007
RHA Annual Exhibition, invited artist, Dublin
IMMA: Art for Amnesty, curated by Ciaran Benson. 2004
Mermaind Arts Centre - Wicklow Artists. 2003
Artists Self Portrait Collection, University of Limerick,2003
4+4@4 touring exhibition of four women artists
and four women poets from the South East,
curated by Dennis Collins, Wexford Arts Centre. 2000
National Collection of Contemporary Drawing, Limerick City Gallery. 1997
Art of the State: OPW Touring Exhibition
Innovation from Tradition, Brussels, Belgium. 1996
Model Arts Centre, Sligo: Featuring work from the Japan Foundation
Contemporary Ceramics Collection
plus paintings by Pauline Flynn and Mary Fitzgerald. 1995
Aer Rianta, Gateway to Art Exhibition, Dublin Airport
Ten years Irish Abstract Art, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Limerick City Gallery:
Featuring Deirdre, Ceramics, Michael Warren, Sculpture,
Samuel Walshe, Pauline Flynn, Paintings. 1994
Siolru, National Maternity Hospital Centenary Exhibition, Dubin.1993
GPA Awards Exhibition for Emerging Artists, RHK 1986
Irish Women Artists, Islington, London
Irish Exhibition of Living Art, Project Arts Centre, Dublin. 1985
Collections
An Chamhairle Ealaion/The Arts Council
Office of Public Works (OPW)
Contemporary Irish Arts Society
Royal Hospital Donnybrook
National Artists Self Portrait Collection, University of Limerick
Dublin City University
Dunloe Ewart plc
Aer Rianta
Allied Irish Banks plc
Irish Life Assurance plc
Wicklow County Council
Private Collections
Commissions
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Aer Rianta, North Terminal Building, Dubin Airport. 2002
Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow (% for Art Award. 2001
Art Catalogues/Group memberships
Exhibition Catalogue forward by Celso Antunes. 2000
Eigse Carlow Arts Festival Catalogue, Essay by Art Historian, Hilary Pyle.1998
‘Profile’ Gandon Editions, to accompany Touring Exhibition. 1996
Paul O'Reilly, Director Limerick City Art Gallery, Essay. 2500 Leaves for Pauline Flynn
An Intransit to Seeing – Molyneuxing, Essay by Gus Gibney.
Member of the Board Irish Museum of Modern Art. 2001-2006
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Member of Carlow Writers Coop. 2015-2020
The Writers Room at Carlow College.2017 -
Lord Edward Writers, Dublin 2017 -
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Literary Journal Publications
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Published in literary journals including The Lonely Crowd 2023, Poetry Ireland Review, Eavan Boland Special Issue 183, 2022Skylight 47, Boyne Berries, Sixteen Magazine, Into the Light, Light,a Journal of Photography and Poetry, Silver Birch Press, Orbis 81, The Blue Nib and Poetry Ireland Review, Eavan Boland Tribute issue 2022