Bio
Having obtained an Honours degree in illustration at West Wales School of the Arts, Eilbhe’s work derives from Oriental influenced style of minimalist ink painting. Particularly the Shin-Hanga movement in Japan and the works of Ohara Koson and his depictions of Kachō-e (birds and flowers) and from the traditions of Print-Making, which of course is an essential part of Illustration.
Paintings are created using traditional Chinese/Japanese brushes and ink and worked up in pencil afterward.
Monoprints are created using intaglio etching ink and worked up in ink & pencil.
All work is made on sustainably sourced cotton paper.
Last year, Eilbhe was short-listed for both the VAA Artist of the Year Award and the VAA International Exhibition & Scholarship prize 2024.
Eilbhe has exhibited widely internationally and her work is held in private collections in Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland.
“Boundaries”
I have always been drawn to the periphery. The in-between places, the margins.
Sometimes it is the place where the water becomes land, other times it is entirely man-made: the divisions ‘created’ to distinguish -
Mine or Yours or Theirs.
Sometimes, they even overlap - barbed wire fencing, rusting, bleached wooden poles starched by the salty water, spouting irregularly from the muddy brine to extend the boundary as far as possible, from earth into water - yet who can truly ‘own’ water.
My work explores this - those forgotten places or those delineated places, particularly if this delineation serves little purpose other than tradition - maintaining the division.
The Bloodline.
Handed down from one generation to the next. Just because.
And in these places, there is always life. Irrespective of propriety.
Life will quietly bloom regardless.
For inquiries about Eilbhe's work or to commission a piece, please fill out the contact form below.
Education
2008-2009
MA Education in Art, Craft & Design, Crawford College of Art, Cork
2001-2004
BA(Hons) Art & Design, West Wales School of the Arts, Carmarthan, Wales
1993-1994
NVQ Level 6, Art, Craft & Design, Grennan Mill Craft School, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny
Awards & Affiliations
2024
2023
2022
2019
2018
2017
Shortlisted for VAA Scholarship Prize
Shortlisted for VAA Artist of the Year Award
Membership Cork Printmakers
TAME Touring & Travel Bursary, Cork LEO
Artist in Schools Bursary, Cork County Arts
Artist in Schools Bursary, Cork County Arts
YPCE Bursary, Arts Council of Ireland
Artist in Schools Bursary, Cork County Arts
Exhibitions - Solo
2025
2023
"Degraded Ecosystems", Galerie Keller, Besançon, France
"Degraded Ecosystems" represented by Galerie Keller, Art Volta, Basel
Art3F Zurich, Oerlikon Messe, Zurich
"Verge" Cahir Arts, Cahir, Co. Tipperary
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2011
Art International Zurich, Messe fur Moderne und Zeitgenoessische Kunst, Zurich
"Caibhleadh", Grey Heron Gallery, Bandon, Co. Cork
Art International Zurich, PULS 5, Zurich
Galerie am Lindenhof, Pfalfgasse 3, Zurich
Art Nordic, Locomotivvaerkstedet, Copenhagen
Art International Zurich, PULS 5, Zurich
Art 3F, Haute-Savoie, France
Glasgow Contemporary Art Fair, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Glasgow
"Flights of Fancy" Cronin's of Crosshaven, Cork
MAG Swiss, Montreux, Switzerland
ArtSource, RDS, Ballbridge, Dublin
ArtSource, RDS Ballsbridge, Dublin
ArtSource, RDS Ballsbridge, Dublin
"Faultlines", Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow
Exhibitions - Group
2026
2025
2024
Open Annual RSW Royal Scottish Society of Watercolour Artists, Edinburgh
Art in the Ballroom, Powerscourt Estate, Wicklow
172 Open Annual, RWA Royal Academy of West England, Bristol
Thomastown Arts Trail, Kilkenny Arts Festival: Cahir Arts, Tipperary
Bric-aBrac Exposition, Keller Galerie, Besançon, France
Paper Works, RWA Royal Academy of West England, Bristol
Galerie LaProkay, Trittligaße 4, Zurich
Galerie LaProkay, Zuger AltstadtHalle, Unter Altstadt 14, Luzern
Annual Summer Show, Kenny Gallery, Galway
Wicklow County Buildings, Wicklow
"Island Women", Letterkenny Arts Centre, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Wicklow Artists, Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Wicklow Artists, Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
2023
Summer Show, Cahir Arts, Cahir, Co. Tipperary
Cairde Visual, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo Arts Festival, Sligo
Moon Art, ElbPhilharmonie, Hamburg
2022
WOPART, Works on Paper Art (represented by Galerie Keller, Zurich), Lugano
"Straight out of Ireland", Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia
2019
2017
2006
2005
"Fragile Expanses", The Ivy House, Dublin
West Cork Creates, Skibereen, Co. Cork
TownHall Arts Centre, Charlestown, Co. Mayo
Wicklow County Buildings, Wicklow
2004
2003
2002
"Small Things", Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow