Brian King (1942 - 2017)
Brian King was an Irish sculptor, who played a major role in advancing Irish 20th century art and who has been described by the Irish Times newspaper as being "one of the foremost Irish sculptors of his generation". He trained as a sculptor at the National College of Art and Design, in Dublin, where he graduated in 1963. After spending some time, living in both London and New York, he returned to Ireland, and soon became a notable and influential figure on the Irish art scene, known for his large scale land art projects. In 1969, he represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale, where he was awarded the top prize. In 1972 he was elected president of the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, which was the foremost exhibition of contemporary art in Ireland at that time. Alongside his own practice as an artist, he was also renowned as a teacher, and was head of the sculpture department of the National College of Art and Design from the early 1980's until 2004.
Throughout his career as an artist, he completed many monumental abstract public sculptures in Ireland, one of the most notable being the National Memorial to the War Dead in Merrion Square, Dublin. Other major publicly commissioned artworks in Ireland, include his constructed steel sculpture "Galway Yellow", in the grounds of University College Galway, and "Convergence", in the gardens of Farmleigh House, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.
Brian King's sculpture is now included in many important public and private art collections in Ireland, including those of the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin; the Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork; the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ; the Bank of Ireland; Allied Irish Banks; the University of Ulster and University College Dublin.
Throughout his career as an artist, he completed many monumental abstract public sculptures in Ireland, one of the most notable being the National Memorial to the War Dead in Merrion Square, Dublin. Other major publicly commissioned artworks in Ireland, include his constructed steel sculpture "Galway Yellow", in the grounds of University College Galway, and "Convergence", in the gardens of Farmleigh House, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin.
Brian King's sculpture is now included in many important public and private art collections in Ireland, including those of the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin; the Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork; the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ; the Bank of Ireland; Allied Irish Banks; the University of Ulster and University College Dublin.
