STORY OF AN ARTIST

Ciaran’s Artistic career started out when he joined a group of cross community Mural painters in 2007 aged 23 and over the next few years began to paint the walls of Belfast. Somewhere along the way he decided to go to the York Street Art College. And in his first year there he entered a large painting into the annual RUA exhibition and won the Irish News award for Depicting the theme Ireland Today. 

Encouraged by his initial success he finished college selling his final year show to the Arts Council along the way.

He was introduced to Willie Jack the owner of the Duke of York Pub in Belfast and began to fill its walls with satirical Paintings Depicting various aspects of Northern Irish culture. Making these Courtyard areas a destination for selfie taking tourists on walking tours. 

Through this work he attracted the attention of the International Mural Convention and was invited to paint a mural at their annual gathering in Newfoundland. Where he met some of the worlds best known Mural painters including John Pugh. The following year he assisted John painting his famous Trompe L'oeil  Murals at various locations in North America.

Ciaran is very influenced by animation and the sequential art found in Graphic novels, animation and Storyboards. This is reflected in his work in which he tries to tell stories using various characters. 

Recently Ciaran won the Silver Award at The RUA's 2021 annual exhibition for his painting of 'Mateuzs'. This was the first in a series of paintings currently in production that depict the characters that he meets mostly in Belfast, where he lives, works and occasionally writes about himself in the third person.  

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