Goldsmiths - University of London

Richard Kirwan

My studio practice involves making paintings. Their characteristic components involve colour, motif and size. These devices are deployed with restraint – but with a complex variety of visual associations.

Boundaries between colours are described by hard-edged geometries. Drawn lines are modified by replacing the pencil point with the scalpel blade used to create the hand-cut stencils that are applied to the surface of the canvas, painted, and then removed.

The composition of my work is governed by the size of the particular painting. An ‘internal scale’ of motif is established alongside a palette of colours – maybe only 2 or 3.

The evidence of gestural handling is contained within the geometry of the composition, and apparent only upon close inspection of the surface; a suggestion of controlled expression

Academic qualifications

1992 - 1994 MA Fine Art, Goldsmiths College, London

1988 - 1991 BA Fine Art, Brighton Polytechnic

1987 - 1988 Foundation, Winchester School of Art

Presentations and exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

2007

Modern Manners
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany

2006

Broken Promise
Marksman Gallery, Reading
New Paintings & Works on Paper
Sainsbury Lecture Theatre, Rome, Italy
Richard Kirwan
Ausstellungsraum Zurich, Switzerland

2005

Devil’s Detail
Hornsey Pump House Gallery, London

2004

Modern Blood
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany

2002

Italian Paintings
British School at Rome, Italy

2001

Recent Paintings
Southampton City Art Gallery

1993

Harlequin
Union Street Gallery, London

Selected group exhibitions

2007

British Painting
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany
Sue Arrowsmith, Andrew Bick, Simon Callery,
Tom Chamberlain, Alexis Harding, Jane Harris,
Claude Heath, Bethan Huws, Richard Kirwan,
DJ Simpson, Michael Stubbs, Daniel Sturgis, Mandy Ure

Mythomania : Double Use
Nunnery Fine Arts, London Pavel Büchler, Moyra Derby, Mick Finch, Jane Harris,
Gerard Hemsworth, Louise Hopkins, Richard Kirwan, Sadie Murdoch,
Katherine McKee, Ben Ravenscroft, Caragh Thuring,
Amikam Toren, John Wilkins

2006

Salon Connexions
Rivington Gallery, London

Deck Invitational Historic Ice House, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Abstract Mode
FosterArt, London
Mick Finch, Olivier Gourvil, Jane Harris,
Richard Kirwan, Monique Prieto, Danny Rolph,
Gary Simmonds, Daniel Sturgis, Claude Temin-Vergez

2005

About Painting II
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany
Andrew Bick, Herbert Hamak, Alexis Harding, Jane Harris,
Jus Juchtmans, Richard Kirwan, Udo Noger, Jonathan Parsons,
Robert Schaberl, DJ Simpson, Michael Stubbs, Daniel Sturgis

Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, London

Europäische Kunst In Der Südwestkurve
BadenwÜrttembergische Kunstverein
Karlsruhe, Germany
Agnes Baillon, Marcel Berlanger, Jürgen Brodwolf, Mariana Cinteanu,
Piero Dorazio, Markus Dreisacker, Martina Frankenberger, Till Freiwald,
Hamish Fulton, Stephan Hasslinger, Magdalena Jetelova, Richard Kirwan,
Hans Landsaat, Niko Luoma, Fergus Martin, Carlos Matter, Mario Moronti,
Malgorzata Paszko, Irina Polin, Geroge Pusenkoff, Markus Ramsrauer,
Ernst Riel, Pavel Schmidt, Luzia Simons, Hyun-sook Song, Claudia Steiner,
Tina Tahir, Jan Peter Tripp, Jan Van Munster, Peter Vogel, Rolf Wicker,
Ernst Wolf, Denise Zayan

Painting: London
Gallery Holly Snapp, Venice, Italy
51st Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art
Ian Davenport, Machiko Edmondson, Richard Kirwan,
Brad Lochore, Marta Marcé, Katie Pratt,
Miho Sato, Michael Stubbs, Daniel Sturgis,
Neal Tait, Claude Temin-Vergez, Mandy Ure,
Roy Voss, Julia Warr, John Wilkins

Ex-Roma : The Abbey Fellowship In Painting 1999 – 2004
APT Gallery, London 2004
Bernice Donszelmann, James Fisher, Judith Frost,
Angela Gill, Beth Harland, Kristin Holder,
Jasper Joffe, Paula Kane, Richard Kirwan,
Margaret Lanzetta, Des Lawrence, David Leapman,
David Mabb, Mary Maclean, Lee Maelzer,
Darren Marshall, Katherine Meynell, Simon Morley,
Sadie Murdoch, Sista Pratesi, Tim Renshaw,
Henry Rogers, Claude Temin-Vergez, Roxy Walsh

2004

Architonic
Ausstellungsraum, Zurich, Switzerland

Folio One
Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, London
Ivor Abrahams, Peter Blake, Sandra Blow, Alan Cox,
Terry Frost, Gary Hume, Vanessa Jackson, Phillip King,
Richard Kirwan, Bruce McLean

Showdown
Hengrove Art Space, Bristol

2004

New Paintings
Galerie Hollenbach, Zurich, Switzerland
Herbert Hamak, Jane Harris, Jus Juchtmans,
Richard Kirwan, Udo Noger,
Robert Schaberl, Daniel Sturgis

Strict Disciplines
Hornsey Pump House Gallery, London

Arbeiten Auf Papier
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany
Sue Arrowsmith, Andrew Bick, Tom Chamberlain, Matt Franks,
Alexis Harding, Jane Harris, Jus Juchtmans, Richard Kirwan,
Robert Schaberl, Daniel Sturgis, Yuji Takeoka

2003

Jummelage
Dubai Biennale of Contemporary Art, Dubai

About Painting
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany
Sue Arrowsmith, Sybille Berger, Andrew Bick, Herbert Hamak,
Alexis Harding, Jane Harris, Jus Juchtmans, Richard Kirwan,
Robert Schaberl, DJ Simpson, Michael Stubbs, Daniel Sturgis

2003

Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, London

Painting
Saatchi Gallery at Underwood Street, London

2002

Painting As A Foreign Language
Edificio Cultura Inglesa, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Liz Arnold, Glen Brown, John Chilver, Peter Davies, Machiko Edmondson,
Jane Harris, Richard Kirwan, Simon Linke, Brad Lochore, Alain Miller,
Paul Morrison, Michael Raedecker, Perry Roberts, DJ Simpson, Bob + Roberta Smith,
Daniel Sturgis, Mark Wallinger, Clare Woods

Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, London

Paintings from the Saatchi Collection
Ulster Museum of Contemporary Art, Ireland

2002

Richard Kirwan, Daniel Sturgis
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany

Mathematique
Danielle Arnaud Gallery, London
Francis Cape, Peter Freeman, Judith Frost, Jane Harris,
Richard Kirwan, Jiri Kratochvil, Ana Prada,
Daniel Sturgis, Mark Titchner, Keith Tyson

Once Again
John Hansard Gallery, Southampton
Richard Artschwager, Glen Baxter, Angela Bulloch, Claude Closky,
Nick Crowe & Ian Rawlinson, Grenville Davey, Jane Harris, Mona Hatoum,
Tim Head, Gerard Hemsworth, Richard Kirwan, Jiri Kratochvil,
Langlands & Bell, Kenny Macleod, Bruce Nauman, Ana Prada, James Rielly,
Hideyuki Sawayanagi, Bridget Smith, Rosemarie Trockel,
Mette Tronvoll, Mandy Ure

2001

Surface Tension: New British Painting
Gallery Holly Snapp, Venice, Italy
49th Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art
Kate Bright, Jane Harris, Richard Kirwan, DJ Simpson,
Daniel Sturgis, Mandy Ure

Complementary Studies - Recent Abstract Painting
Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston
Sybille Berger, Ian Davenport,
Peter Davies, Damien Hirst, Richard Kirwan,
Monique Prieto, Daniel Sturgis

Summer Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, London

2000

Versailles
Trinity Gardens, London
Arnaud Desjardins, Ana Genoves, Gerard Hemsworth,
Richard Kirwan, Michael Nyman, Alain Miller,
Daniel Sturgis, Alison Turnbull, Clare Woods

Encounters
Sharjah Museum of Contemporary Art, Dubai

Sybille Berger, Clem Crosby, Richard Kirwan
Galerie Hollenbach, Stuttgart, Germany