Following a career in manufacturing, Dave Madigan (b. Dublin, Ireland) retrained as a visual artist. He graduated in 2009 with a first class honours degree in Visual Arts Practice from the Institute of Art, Design and Technology. A regular exhibitor in the Royal Hibernian and Royal Ulster academies, Dave’s work is noted for his surreal painted depictions of modern day technological artefacts which he places, always out of scale, in detailed landscapes. His paintings have been awarded for their lyrical, poetic and often humorous depictions and his accomplished technical application of oil paint. Most recently, Dave has moved toward studies of environmental subject matter. In this new body of work he considers an increasing remove from the natural that is a danger to urbanised populations. He inverts our sense of reality and the expected by the subtle use of illusion, distortion and by alluding to digital aesthetics in his new paintings of plant life.
In 2023 a solo show of Dave’s work was held in the DLR LexIcon Municipal Gallery, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland to much acclaim. See the tab Landscapes and Oddities for more.
Dave’s work can be seen currently in the 194th RHA Annual Show, Royal Hibernian Academy, Ely Place, Dublin 2 from May 20 until Aug 5, 2024.
Previous exhibitions and awards include Climate and Health Exhibition, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, IRL, 2023; 193rd RHA Annual Show, Ely Place, Dublin 2, IRL, 2023; 192nd RHA Annual Show, Dublin, IRL, 2022; With Other Matter, Roscommon Arts Centre, IRL, 2022; 191st RHA Annual Show, Dublin, IRL, 2021; Winter Open, Rua Red, Dublin, IRL, 2020; 190th RHA Annual Show, Dublin, IRL, 2020; Utopia/Dystopia selected by Aoife Ruane, dlr LexIcon Municipal Gallery, Dublin, IRL, 2019; Winter Open, Rua Red, Dublin, IRL, 2019; RUA 139th Annual Exhibition, Belfast, U.K., 2019; 189th RHA Annual Show, Dublin, IRL, 2019; the Friends of the RHA Award for a Senior Artist at the 188th Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Show, Dublin, IRL, 2018; RUA 138th Annual Exhibition, Belfast, U.K., 2018; The Paul Henry Landscape Painting Award at the RUA 136th Annual Exhibition, Belfast, U.K., 2017; Homecoming selected by Gemma Tipton, DLR LexIcon, Dublin, IRL, 2017; and TULCA Festival of Art, Galway, IRL, 2016, curated by Dr Daniel Jewesbury.
Dave’s work is held in public and many private collections including the Office of Public Works, DCU Business School, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Royal College of Physicians, Ireland.
Studio: Pallas Projects/Studios, The Digital Hub, Thomas St, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Enquiries: dave.madigan@gmail.com
