ART IS ALL around us. Everywhere you look, in the supermarket or the park, there are many beautiful things from pretty packaging to nature’s changing colour palettes to enjoy. Of course, you can actively seek out art with trips to galleries for inspiration or escapism.
Since childhood, Meath-born fine artist, Eileen O’Sullivan has always appreciated and seen the potential in everyday objects and scenes when developing her artistry, as she told The Journal. “I was a very creative child. I always loved making, drawing and painting. The running joke in my family home is to ask me, ‘do you want to make something out of this, Eileen?’ before throwing something in the rubbish bin. I used whatever I could get my hands on.”
Throughout her formative years and education, O’Sullivan was encouraged by teachers and her parents when exploring her artistic skills. In secondary school, teachers exposed her and her classmates to visiting art professionals who provided insights into making a career in the creative industry. That early nurturing of O’Sullivan’s creativity continued into adulthood as she focused on turning her passion into a career.
In 2015, O’Sullivan completed her degree in Fine Art Painting and Visual Culture at Dublin’s National College of Art & Design. After graduating, she did an online mentoring course and completed a postgraduate degree in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Trinity College during the lockdown. Today, she works between Meath and Dublin facilitating art workshops along with creating pieces for exhibitions.
Now, more than ever, when pursuing a career in the arts, one is required to wear a number of different hats to maintain business. Furthermore, there’s a lot of planning and flexibility involved in navigating the career path of an artist. This is something O’Sullivan has done proficiently and with great pragmatism from the offset, she notes.
“When I first went full time I just did it for 3 months, mainly working off savings. Then I got another job so that I was able to pay rent. Gradually, I built up my portfolio and opportunities from there. I’m delighted to be working as a full-time artist now. Along with painting in my studio, I also facilitate workshops with the National Gallery of Ireland and other institutions as well as doing one-off commissions to support myself. I think I just work a few months ahead of myself at a time. It’s not always easy as there’s a lot of rejection in the art world. The lows are low but the highs are extremely high. Moral support from other creatives is what keeps me going I think.”
She continues, “Working in the arts industry at the moment is exciting. There’s always something new happening, a play, an exhibition, a talk, or a gig to go and see. I get energy from other people’s ambition and creativity, for sure.” Within the thriving arts scene across Ireland, O’Sullivan has also enjoyed a fruitful year. Now represented by Hang Tough Contemporary, she produced an incredible body of work for her solo show, “Dip Dip Dip” in their gallery space last July.
“When I was creating the works for the exhibition I gathered a lot of images and researched around the energy I aspire to emulate in the artworks. It is almost like a filmmaker creating mood boards or colour stories or storyboards.” The pieces included in “Dip, Dip, Dip”, along with the majority of O’Sullivan’s previous work demonstrate great artist assuredness in her dexterity. Abstract from afar, when viewing O’Sullivan’s art up close, you could easily get lost in the details in the scenes created on the canvas.
“I strive to make paintings that celebrate the photographic gaze. I tend to use a collage method across my work as it suits the way I think and process images,” she describes.
“I find myself exploring themes of memory, womanhood and grief in ways that blend figuration and abstraction. When I approach a canvas, I typically prioritise energetic colour palettes and really enjoy when the images I’ve made through collage create enigmatic compositions rather than definite messages. Lately, I find myself being drawn to imagery that holds an energy of pragmatism, such as instruction manuals.”
Outside of finding inspiration in instruction manuals, O’Sullivan’s art was recently featured on coffee packaging. Commissioned by Java Republic, O’Sullivan was amongst a group of artists selected to create art inspired by the people and communities who made the coffee. O’Sullivan explains her approach and the process behind this special commission and unique opportunity to have her work adorning pantry items for the home.
“Initially, it was difficult to plan this piece, especially as an outsider, because I was very conscious of making something to represent people who I have never met. My favourite part of the process was speaking to Stephen Nganga from Kuambu who I got in contact with through AkiDwa Ireland. It was so interesting to hear his perspective on a place I had never been to and had learnt about through researching online. I think the project struck a chord with friends who aren’t necessarily involved in the artwork because they appreciated the art on a functional object – in this instance, packaging – more than they would a painted canvas.”
That project took place at the start of 2022. As the year comes to a close, coffee once again plays a significant role in bookending a busy year for O’Sullivan. Since late October, her work has been on display in 3fe’s IFSC cafe as part of their “Common Spaces” project. Conceived by artist and barista Becky O’Sullivan, “Commons Spaces” sees each of the six cafes in the renowned Irish speciality coffee roastery’s portfolio being transformed into exhibition spaces showcasing a number of selected artists. Each artist is given the opportunity to have their work displayed on the cafe walls for a 3 month period.
This November, Eileen O’Sullivan will have work shown across a number of exhibitions taking place in Dublin’s Teelings Whiskey Distillery and the Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda. There, she will be part of “The Tyranny of Ambition”, curated by Graham Crowely, which opens on Saturday 26 November. For those looking to brighten up their walls at home, you can pick up a print by Eileen O’Sullivan at this year’s Hang Tough Winter Exhibition, throughout December.
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