Born in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh in 1981, I spent a lot of time visiting the West coast of Ireland and painting some of the amazing scenery it has to offer. I moved to Belfast in 2000 to study for a Foundation Certificate of Art and Design and later a Degree in Fine and Applied Arts in the University of Ulster. My work consisted of detailed traditional landscapes such as those of the West coast and of some darker imagery influenced by artists such as Giger, Bosch and Beksinski. During my time in college, I developed a style of painting that refrained from my usual methods but maintained an attention to detail.
Influenced by automatisic qualities of surrealist and psychedelic artists such as Max Ernst, early works of Tom Blackwell and Bernard Saby and by applying paint to canvas through techniques such as Decalcomania, Bulletism, Eclaboussure and Soufflage. I brought detail, depth and organic line back into my paintings by rendering or manipulating some areas of paint with a fine brush.
I began to create large canvases (chance configurations), each named simply with the first word that was invoked when viewing the finished painting, that contain organic forms, thrusting energies, electric, vibrant colours and a use of line that attracts the viewer to gaze at the image. These unfiltered scenes of my subconscious invite the viewer to interpret the work as he or she wishes.
I now live in Carlow, in the South of Ireland with my own family, where the work I am currently involved with combines this method of painting, with my interest in landscapes to again create art that is noticed for its aesthetics instantly. Sharing Veristic Surrealist qualities these paintings depict many typical Irish and British countryside or coastal scene. The places that I have visited have left a lasting impression on me. Trees savaged by the elements, vast open fields, valleys and dramatic skies. Again these works, filled with intricate pictorial spaces, allow the viewer their own interpretation but leave a subtle message in their title relating to a journey I have experienced.
My aim at present is to study as many areas of nature as possible to influence my portrayal of the chaotic yet beautiful natural world and beyond. By bringing aesthetic beauty back into irrational and frenzied brush strokes and by the unusual organic-meets-mineral aspect found in my work I express and emphasize my feelings towards a link between the illogical forms of nature and the inevitable demise of the human race.
I anticipate painting different parts of the world. Places where the landscape is completely alien, the earth a different colour and vegetation unfamiliar. It’s a big world out there and I look forward to every new encounter, to provide the viewer with another window into my interior self.
Niall J.Ward
BA (Hons) Fine and Applied Arts.
EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS:
SEPTEMBER 1998- Advanced GNVQ
JUNE 2000 with Distinction
Art and Design, Fermanagh College.
SEPTEMBER 2000- Certificate in JUNE 2001 Foundation Studies in
Art and Design,
University of Ulster.
OCTOBER 2001- BA Hons
JUNE 2004 Fine and Applied Arts,
University of Ulster.
EXHIBITIONS:
JUNE 2000- Advanced GNVQ Art and Design
Final Year Exhibition
Fermanagh College of Further
Education, Enniskillen.
MAY 2004- BA Hons Fine and Applied Art
‘Signature’ Exhibition,
University of Ulster,
York Street, Belfast.
JUNE- SEPTEMBER 2004- ‘Colourful Imaginations’
The Waiting Room Gallery,
Belfast.
APRIL- MAY 2005- ‘Earthly Imaginations’
The Waiting Room Gallery,
Belfast.
AUGUST- SEPTEMBER 2005- 'GAZE’
Space Gallery, Conway Mill,
Belfast.
JANUARY- FEBRUARY 2006- 'An Exhibition of Traditional
and Contemporary Art by
Niall J.Ward.'
The John Hewitt, Belfast.
MARCH- APRIL 2007- 'An Exhibition of paintings by
Niall J.Ward and Garath O'Rawe.'
The Safehouse Gallery, Belfast.
JULY 2007- 'Safehouse Gallery-
Summer Group Show'
Safehouse Gallery, Belfast.
SEPTEMBER 2007- Triskele Studios
Anna K Artspace, Enniskillen.
NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 'An Exhibition of Traditional
2007- and Contemporary Art by
Niall J.Ward.'
The John Hewitt, Belfast.
DECEMBER 2007- 'Safehouse Gallery-
JANUARY 2008 Christmas Group Show'
Safehouse Gallery, Belfast.
MARCH 2008- 'Revisit New Worlds'
Safehouse Gallery, Belfast.
JUNE-AUGUST 2008- 'Artforums 1st Annual Summer
Group Exhibition', Artforums Gallery,
Carlow.
COLLECTIONS:
1999- Commissioned piece-
2 x (19” x 27”) Drawings sold to Acheston & Glover LTD (no image)
(Landscape of quarry face)
2000- Final Year Exhibition-
(group show)
3 pieces of ceramics
1 x (19” x 27”) landscape
drawing(untitled).(no image)
Commissioned piece-
'Sunset Valley'
2001- Private sale-
'Castlecoole I'
'Enniskillen Castle'
2004- ‘Signature’ Exhibition-
(group show)
'Underground'
Commissioned piece-
1 x (8" x 14") portrait
pencil on paper (no image)
‘Colourful Imaginations’
Exhibition-
(group show)
'Primal Chaos'
2005- ‘Earthly Imaginations’ Exhibition-
'Murpha'
'GAZE' Exhibition-
'Castlecoole III'
'To and From'
'Da and Ba'
'Galway Hooker'
2006- The John Hewitt-
'Raven'
'Desolute I'
'DesoluteII'
1 x (18"x22") Mixed
media watercolour.
'Astra'(no image)
'Floral Peak'
'Achill Blue'
'Coral Dawn'
2007- Triskele Studios-
'Towards the Peak'
'Lunar Rise'
'Touch'
The John Hewitt-
'Regenerate I'
'Regenerate II'
'Hideaway'
Safehouse Gallery-
'Morning After'
'Haze'
'Resolute'
'The Source'
'Life from Death'
'Every Corner'
2008- Commissioned piece-
'Morrigan'.
Commissioned piece-
'Alice Wonders'
