Area C

The themes of social, political and cultural landscape form the basis for my creative practice. These narrative paintings incorporate landscape but are primarily concerned with a sense of place and memory. I focus on the themes of isolation, occupation, land, borders and walls.Research was undertaken and imagery collected during my visit to the Occuppied territories in 2019. I took part in the Olive Tree Campaign organised by the Joint Advocacy Initiative.

The works are multi layered in approach and incorporate found materials collected over time. I use collage, acrylic, oil paint and pastels.

Painterly mark making is important. I build and erode layers of pigment with the aim of creating areas of focus juxtaposed by underlying ghost images. A sense of turbulent history, unease, abandonment, and lives lived are echoed.  The surface qualities add to the textural narrative of the exhibition.

Printmaking is another strand to my work, photo intaglio and screen print.

Unearthing the layers of the past the mental worlds of people who lived there brought to light in the trappings and textures of the place. Her observations are poignant and at times sharp not at all cosily nostalgic conveying the idea of time offering a sense of possibility but also loss.'

Aidan Dunne  Irish Times

BIOGRAPHY 

BIOGRAPHY EILEEN FERGUSON Seaveagh Glaslough County Monaghan.

Eileen Ferguson was born in Edinburgh. She studied  BAHons Fine Art at The Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art Dundee 1982-1986.

Then went on to Study an MA in Fine Art at the University of Ulster at Belfast 1988-1989.

2017 -   BA Business Enterprise & Community Development Athlone Institute of  

             Technology.

2011 – 2023  Co Founder of Clones Art Studios

2022 Awarded Platform 31 Award.

2021 Awarded Arts Council Agility Award

Artist in Residence at Creative Spark Dundalk Print Studio.

2021 Elected to the Royal Ulster Academy

May 2020 Awarded Art Council of Ireland Covid Response .

February 2020  4 Week Residency in Project Studio Leitrim Sculpture Centre

2019 selected for Open Access to Graphic Studio Dublin.

She has exhibited in the 2017 /2019 Royal Ulster Academy. The RHA  Dublin Annual Exhibition in 2018. She won first prize at the 2019  North West Open Exhibition Leitrim Sculpture Centre.

Eileen has exhibited widely in Ireland most recent solo exhibition was in the Alley Art Centre Strabane 2017. Solas Art Gallery Ballinamore Leitrim .Past solo shows have been in Temple Bar Gallery Dublin, The Arts Council Gallery Belfast. Sligo Art Gallery.

2023 Alpha House Royal Ulster Academy Members  Gallery

Selection Recent  Group Exhibitions Curated

2022 Solas Art Gallery September , I Single Rose Model Art Centre .

2020 Customhouse Studios Mayo, 2019 LAF France , ImPress Print Biennale Galway, Cairde Sligo, St Brigid’s Day London, Sligo. Yeats Day Hamilton Gallery ,  Luan Gallery, Boyle Arts Festival , Kingshouse

Selected Group Exhibitions

The Origin Gallery Dublin, , Chelsea Arts Fair New York, Slaughterhouse Gallery London, Richard Demarco Gallery Edinburgh, Claremorris Open. Boltax Gallery  Border Walls  New York State. Rolling Devolution Gracefield Art Centre Dumfries, Aberdeen City Gallery, Drogheda Art Centre.

Recent Projects

Connecting Clones A Collaborative Project with artist Caroline Conway. Clones Refugee group and Hen shed.

Eileen has been involved in the Artist in Prison Scheme Arts Council of Ireland.

Eileen has work in private and public collections The Arts Council of Northern Ireland,

Bank of Ireland ,The Office of  Public Works, Monaghan County Museum, VEC Monaghan, Beaumont Hospital, Drogheda Hospital  and private collections.

She has had reviews in The Irish Times, Belfast Telegraph , Irish Independent, Sunday Tribune, West Hampton News New York. .