Neil Shawcross
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Neil Shawcross, MBE, RUA "Basket of Plums" Acrylic on card, 21" x 29"
Neil Shawcross was born in Kearsley, Lancashire in 1940. He began studying art at Bolton College of Art which he attended from 1953 until 1958, before moving to the Lancaster College of Art from 1958 until 1961. He then moved to Northern Ireland and worked as a part time lecturer at the then Belfast College of Art, becoming a full time teacher at the Ulster College of Art & Design in 1968.
As an artist, Shawcross became renowned for his distinctive portrait paintings, and in the 1970's he was awarded two Arts Council of Northern Ireland portrait commissions, one of Irish artist, Colin Middleton and the other of Derek Dougan. In 1978 he was commissioned by the Ulster Museum to paint a portrait of Irish novelist, Francis Stuart, and the following year he painted Alderman David Cook for the Lord Mayor's gallery at the City Hall. His portrait of George R. Cowie is now housed in Queen's University, Belfast. He became a full academician of the Royal Ulster Academy in 1978 and was awarded the Royal Ulster Academy's Gold Medal for painting, on no fewer than four occasions - 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1994.
He has exhibited widely in both Ireland and England, having had solo exhibitions in Bolton, London, Manchester and Dublin. In more recent years he has had solo exhibitions of his work at the Tom Caldwell Gallery in Belfast in 1990 and the Gordon Gallery in Derry in 1991. He is also a regular contributor to the annual Royal Hibernian Academy exhibitions in Dublin. In 1987 he visited the Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts, U.S.A., and in 1991 he painted at the Vermont Studio Centre. Two years later he was visiting lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, and he returned to teach there again in 1994 and in 1996. He still lectures at the University of Ulster and has played a prominent role in the arts in Northern Ireland being involved in the Arts Council's Young Arts Scheme. In 2014, Shawcross was awarded an MBE in the Queen's new years honours list, for his contribution to art in Northern Ireland.
As an artist, Shawcross became renowned for his distinctive portrait paintings, and in the 1970's he was awarded two Arts Council of Northern Ireland portrait commissions, one of Irish artist, Colin Middleton and the other of Derek Dougan. In 1978 he was commissioned by the Ulster Museum to paint a portrait of Irish novelist, Francis Stuart, and the following year he painted Alderman David Cook for the Lord Mayor's gallery at the City Hall. His portrait of George R. Cowie is now housed in Queen's University, Belfast. He became a full academician of the Royal Ulster Academy in 1978 and was awarded the Royal Ulster Academy's Gold Medal for painting, on no fewer than four occasions - 1978, 1982, 1986 and 1994.
He has exhibited widely in both Ireland and England, having had solo exhibitions in Bolton, London, Manchester and Dublin. In more recent years he has had solo exhibitions of his work at the Tom Caldwell Gallery in Belfast in 1990 and the Gordon Gallery in Derry in 1991. He is also a regular contributor to the annual Royal Hibernian Academy exhibitions in Dublin. In 1987 he visited the Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts, U.S.A., and in 1991 he painted at the Vermont Studio Centre. Two years later he was visiting lecturer at Pennsylvania State University, and he returned to teach there again in 1994 and in 1996. He still lectures at the University of Ulster and has played a prominent role in the arts in Northern Ireland being involved in the Arts Council's Young Arts Scheme. In 2014, Shawcross was awarded an MBE in the Queen's new years honours list, for his contribution to art in Northern Ireland.