Biography

Paul Kelly started drawing and painting at an early age. Since then has gone on to establish a wide reputation both here in Ireland and abroad.

Completely self taught, Kelly paints in a conventional pre-impressionist style in both oils and watercolour. Known for his paintings of north county Dublin with its busy fields, market gardens and small harbour’s he has been regularly traveling all over Ireland in search of new inspiration and even further a field with painting trips to Morocco, Prague, Budapest and Venice.

He has had many successful one man “sell out” exhibitions at the Gorry Gallery in Dublin, The Killarney Art Gallery in Co. Kerry and regularly exhibits in selective group shows around the country. He has also exhibited frequently at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, and in 1991 obtained the James Kennedy memorial award for portraiture.

Works by him are included in many public and private collections including the national self portrait collections of Ireland, The Fingal county library and the Brian P. Burns collection USA.

In 1999 he was included in the “Who’s who in Ireland” and a Buyers guide to Irish art. In 2000 his painting “The Liffey Rowers” was exhibited at the John F Kennedy centre for the performing arts, Washington. Paul has also been a winner of the Ireland fund of Great Britain ‘Artist of the year’ award.

In 2004, with the kind permission of the Lambay island estate he exhibited a body of work entitled “Lambay, portrait of an Island” which was received to great public and critical acclaim.

‘Paul Kelly in Brittany’ 2010 seen his undertakings from a long expedition to this region in France, which included visits to Concarneau, Pont Aven, Benodet, Quimperle and Raz. The annual Pardons with their native costumes and medieval backdrops were the subject of this exhibition.

In December 2012 Paul exhibited the ‘Carnival of Venice’ in Dublin and at the same time launched his first book celebrating the ‘Carnevale’ through his eyes. The sumptuous costumes, wigs and masks of this annual event against the magnificent backdrop of Venice.