Biography
Gary Kearney is an Irish artist from Tipperary, based in Cork City.
His paintings reflect his interest in architecture, perspective and natural lighting and explores how these change our emotional connection to our surroundings. He received a BA(Hons) in Fine Art from Crawford College of Fine Art and Design in 2005.
Kearney's paintings have been exhibited widely throughout Ireland and Britain, including solo shows at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Sirius Arts Centre, Iontas Theatre and Garter Lane Arts Centre. His work has featured in group exhibitions such as Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition (195th, 194th, 192nd, 191st and 188th) , Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition (194th, 142nd and 138th), Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition and the Royal West of England Academy Exhibition (169th and 167th) in Bristol.
He works from his studio in Cork and is apart of Backwater Artists Network Group in Cork where he was a member from 2010 - 2019. He was twice Longlisted for the Jacksons Painting Prize and was represented by the Chimera Gallery in Westmeath from 2018 to 2024.
His work is represented in public collections including the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, The Office of Public Works and Cork City Libraries.
He was selected for the first ever Art Riddler Exhibition and each year since. He is the recipient of an Arts Council Agility Award in 2025.
Education
2001-2005 Honors Degree in Fine Art Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork.
Solo Exhibitions
Upcoming: July 2027 Solo Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2017 Ray of Light, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford.
2014 The Light of Day, Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
2014 Through Light, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
2013 Daylight, The Upstairs Gallery, The Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny.
2013 Into the Light, The Ivy House, Dublin.
2012 Recent Work, Iontas Theatre, Artswell, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.
2011 Reflections, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Cork.
2010 New work, Backwater Artists Studios, Cork.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Current: Hunt Museum Open Submission Exhibition 2025, Limerick.
2025 Royal Ulster Academy 144th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2025 Ballinglen Arts Foundation and Museum of Art Second Biennial, Co. Mayo.
2025 Rua Red 'Right Here, Right Now' Annual Exhibition, Tallaght, Dublin.
2025 Royal Hibernian Academy 195th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
2025 Exhibition for Kilkenny Arts Festival at Kilkenny Art Gallery.
2025 Members Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork City.
2025 Works from Stock Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2024 Europe in the Heart of Ireland, Europa Gallery Dublin/Hamilton Gallery, Sligo.
2024 Works from Stock Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2024 Royal Hibernian Academy 194th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin
2024 Art Riddler Exhibition, Dublin
2023 Royal Ulster Academy 142nd Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2023 Winter Exhibition at The Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork..
2023 Auction RACHT 23 Herman's Auctioneers, Studio 10, Wicklow Streer, Dublin.
2023 Art Riddler Exhibition, Studio 10, Dublin.
2023 Auction DEORAD 23 Herman's Auctioneers, Studio 10, Wicklow Street, Dublin.
2023 Summer Exhibition at The Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork
2023 Royal Scottish Academy 197th Annual Exhibition, Edinbugh
2022 Royal West of England Academy 169th Annual Exhibition,Bristol.
2022 Art Riddler Exhibition, Studio 10, Dublin.
2022 Royal Hibernian Academy 192nd Annual Exhibtion, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2022 New Work Exhibited, The Chimera Gallery, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
2021 Royal Hibernian Academy 191st Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2020 115th Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition, Bath.
2019 Royal Ulster Academy 138th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2019 Royal West of England Academy 167th Annual Open Exhibition, Bristol.
2018 Summer Exhibition, The Chimera Gallery, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
2018 Cairde Visual 2018, The Model, The Mall, Sligo.
2018 Royal Hibernian Academy 188th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2016 Peer, Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork.
2014 Blue-International Art Exhibition, Gallery 27, South Frederick Street, Dublin 2.
2013 Duplex, The South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.
2012 From Bricks to Canvas, Source Arts Centre, Co. Tipperary.
2011 Place Space, Wandesford Quay Gallery (now Lavit Gallery), Cork.
2011 Below 456, The Lavit Gallery, Cork.
2009 Crow Gallery, Dublin.
Awards and Achievements
2024 Awarded Arts Council Agility Award.
2022 and 2023 Longlisted Jackson Painting Prize.
2005 Purchase Prize Award Winner, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork.
Collections
Office of Public Works, Crawford Art Gallery and Cork City Library.
Interviews / Reviews
Interview — Behind the Artist 5/08/25
Interview — The Flying Fruit Bowl episode #113
Interview -- Colette Sheridan Evening Echo
Interview — Ray of Light Exhibition (Video)
Profile -- The Irish Post with Fiona Audley
Gary Kearney is an Irish artist from Tipperary, based in Cork City.
His paintings reflect his interest in architecture, perspective and natural lighting and explores how these change our emotional connection to our surroundings. He received a BA(Hons) in Fine Art from Crawford College of Fine Art and Design in 2005.
Kearney's paintings have been exhibited widely throughout Ireland and Britain, including solo shows at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Sirius Arts Centre, Iontas Theatre and Garter Lane Arts Centre. His work has featured in group exhibitions such as Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition (195th, 194th, 192nd, 191st and 188th) , Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition (194th, 142nd and 138th), Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition and the Royal West of England Academy Exhibition (169th and 167th) in Bristol.
He works from his studio in Cork and is apart of Backwater Artists Network Group in Cork where he was a member from 2010 - 2019. He was twice Longlisted for the Jacksons Painting Prize and was represented by the Chimera Gallery in Westmeath from 2018 to 2024.
His work is represented in public collections including the Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, The Office of Public Works and Cork City Libraries.
He was selected for the first ever Art Riddler Exhibition and each year since. He is the recipient of an Arts Council Agility Award in 2025.
Education
2001-2005 Honors Degree in Fine Art Crawford College of Art & Design, Cork.
Solo Exhibitions
Upcoming: July 2027 Solo Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2017 Ray of Light, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford.
2014 The Light of Day, Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow.
2014 Through Light, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.
2013 Daylight, The Upstairs Gallery, The Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny.
2013 Into the Light, The Ivy House, Dublin.
2012 Recent Work, Iontas Theatre, Artswell, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan.
2011 Reflections, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Cork.
2010 New work, Backwater Artists Studios, Cork.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Current: Hunt Museum Open Submission Exhibition 2025, Limerick.
2025 Royal Ulster Academy 144th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2025 Ballinglen Arts Foundation and Museum of Art Second Biennial, Co. Mayo.
2025 Rua Red 'Right Here, Right Now' Annual Exhibition, Tallaght, Dublin.
2025 Royal Hibernian Academy 195th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin.
2025 Exhibition for Kilkenny Arts Festival at Kilkenny Art Gallery.
2025 Members Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork City.
2025 Works from Stock Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2024 Europe in the Heart of Ireland, Europa Gallery Dublin/Hamilton Gallery, Sligo.
2024 Works from Stock Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork City.
2024 Royal Hibernian Academy 194th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin
2024 Art Riddler Exhibition, Dublin
2023 Royal Ulster Academy 142nd Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2023 Winter Exhibition at The Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork..
2023 Auction RACHT 23 Herman's Auctioneers, Studio 10, Wicklow Streer, Dublin.
2023 Art Riddler Exhibition, Studio 10, Dublin.
2023 Auction DEORAD 23 Herman's Auctioneers, Studio 10, Wicklow Street, Dublin.
2023 Summer Exhibition at The Lavit Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork
2023 Royal Scottish Academy 197th Annual Exhibition, Edinbugh
2022 Royal West of England Academy 169th Annual Exhibition,Bristol.
2022 Art Riddler Exhibition, Studio 10, Dublin.
2022 Royal Hibernian Academy 192nd Annual Exhibtion, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2022 New Work Exhibited, The Chimera Gallery, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
2021 Royal Hibernian Academy 191st Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2020 115th Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition, Bath.
2019 Royal Ulster Academy 138th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast.
2019 Royal West of England Academy 167th Annual Open Exhibition, Bristol.
2018 Summer Exhibition, The Chimera Gallery, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
2018 Cairde Visual 2018, The Model, The Mall, Sligo.
2018 Royal Hibernian Academy 188th Annual Exhibition, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin 2.
2016 Peer, Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork.
2014 Blue-International Art Exhibition, Gallery 27, South Frederick Street, Dublin 2.
2013 Duplex, The South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co.Tipperary.
2012 From Bricks to Canvas, Source Arts Centre, Co. Tipperary.
2011 Place Space, Wandesford Quay Gallery (now Lavit Gallery), Cork.
2011 Below 456, The Lavit Gallery, Cork.
2009 Crow Gallery, Dublin.
Awards and Achievements
2024 Awarded Arts Council Agility Award.
2022 and 2023 Longlisted Jackson Painting Prize.
2005 Purchase Prize Award Winner, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork.
Collections
Office of Public Works, Crawford Art Gallery and Cork City Library.
Interviews / Reviews
Interview — Behind the Artist 5/08/25
Interview — The Flying Fruit Bowl episode #113
Interview -- Colette Sheridan Evening Echo
Interview — Ray of Light Exhibition (Video)
Profile -- The Irish Post with Fiona Audley