Landscape artist Seamus Gallagher, a native of Derry has resided in Donegal for the past 30 years. Seamus gained an Honours Degree in Fine Art Painting from Wimbledon School of Art, London and subsequently a post graduate qualification from Goldsmiths College London in the 1980s. 25 years as a full time teacher of art followed, 16 of which were as Head of Department, St Peters High School, Derry.
Seamus has exhibited his work widely including the Royal Academy London, the ICA London and the Whitworth Gallery Manchester. He has also participated in many group shows in the Northwest Region including, the Glebe Gallery, the Gordon Gallery, Hambly & Hambly , and the Maritime Museum Greencastle. Seamus is a member of the Donegal Visual Artist Network and has exhibited at Fort Dundee annual open group show 2023.
Seamus has previously held 3 successful solo exhibitions in Donegal and Derry. His current exhibition showcases his most recent paintings on the theme of ‘Land, Sea, and Sky’.
“My paintings come from a connection with the natural world, in particular to the Donegal coastline. My responses are not necessarily related to a site specific place but to an intuitive feeling for landscape. This comes from a conversation with my paintings, arriving out of the handling of oil paint and use of colour. Through the process of painting, the canvas makes its own demands, and in a sense takes a life of its own.
If there is a meaning to my work it emerges from the language of painting itself. Painting for me is about what you know consciously and what you feel and react to instinctively, while responding to the many subtle changes during the dialogue with the canvas. Through the expressive use of paint and colour I try to convey a sense of atmosphere and drama.”