Pauline Garavan
visual artist

Biography
Pauline Garavan is an oil painter and sculptor who lives and works in Westport,
Co Mayo, on the West coast of Ireland. Her paintings are usually in a small format and noted for their attention to detail, and her sculptures are likewise on a small scale using a variety of non-traditional materials.
She has exhibited widely in group/selected shows in Ireland including at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), the Royal Ulster Academy (RUA), and internationally in both solo and selected group shows. In 2025 her work was selected for Bloodroot, showing at Pulchri Studio in The Hague, Netherlands, opening 22 January. In 2024 her work was shown as part of St Brigid’s Well: Irish Artists Exhibition .at the Nanchizi Art Museum, Beijing, China. The show was presented by Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, in partnership with the Irish Embassy in Beijing, first having been shown at the Gallery in 2023. The Gallery and the Dept of Foreign Affairs commissioned Aosdána poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin to write a poem in honour of St Brigid and invited 101 women artists to make a work in response to it.
Her work was included in the inaugural international Biennial Exhibition 2023, at The Ballinglen Arts Foundation and Museum, Ballycastle, Co Mayo. One of her paintings was exhibited in London as part of Plantae 2023, with the Society of Botanical Artists, at the Mall Galleries.
Her solo shows include Seeing Earth at the Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport in 2021. Later that year she had a solo exhibition as part of the Culture Awards of the State of Lower Austria 2021, at the NÖ DOK, Documentation Centre for Modern Art Lower Austria, St Pölten. This followed the awarding of a one-month artist residency in Krems an der Donau, Austria by the Custom House Studios + Gallery and AIR – Artist in Residence Niederösterreich fellowship programme. Earlier solo shows include at The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon; Íontas Arts Centre, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan; Athy Library, Co Kildare.
In 2019 she exhibited at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life as part of a curated group exhibition. Also in 2019, she was selected as one of 25 artists to travel to Philadelphia for the inaugural Straight Out of Ireland exhibition at Sacred Heart Academy, Bryn Mawr. It was supported by Creative Ireland and Mayo County Council. The exhibition was hosted by the Philadelphia Irish Diaspora Centre. It was a showcasing of contemporary Irish and American art, representing the work of 25 artists from Ireland and 12 from Pennsylvania.
In 2016 her specially created work, Shackleton’s Endurance was exhibited at Athy Library, as part of Co Kildare’s official Ernest Shackleton centenary celebrations. The work celebrated the Antarctic explorer’s Endurance Expedition of 1914-1916 and is now part of the permanent collection of The Shackleton Museum Athy.
She works from a studio at the Custom House Studios + Gallery in Westport which she was awarded in 2023. She has a B.A. (Hons.) in Fine Art, from ATU Sligo, and a B.A. (Ord.) in Art and Design, from ATU Mayo. She has been awarded bursaries from The Arts Council of Ireland and Mayo County Council Arts Service. Her work is held in public and private collections in Ireland, England, France, and the United States.
Curriculum Vitae
Membership:
Visual Artists Ireland – professional member.
Interface Inagh.
Polar Artists Collective.
Awards:
2023
Artist Bursary Award – Mayo County Council Arts Service.
Artist Studio, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2022
Arts Council of Ireland Agility Award.
Artist Bursary Award – Mayo County Council Arts Service.
2021
One month artist residency, AIR–ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, Krems an der Donau, Austria.
Collections:
Mayo County Council Art Collection.
The Shackleton Museum Athy, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Private collections in Ireland, USA, England, France.
Education:
2008
Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Fine Art, ATU Sligo, Ireland.
2006
Bachelor of Arts (Ord.) in Art and Design, ATU Mayo, Ireland.
Solo Shows:
2021
Culture Awards of the State of Lower Austria 2021, NÖ DOK, Documentation Centre for Modern Art Lower Austria, St Pölten, Austria.
Seeing Earth, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2017
Shackleton’s Endurance, Town Hall Theatre, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2016
Shackleton’s Endurance, Minihan Room, Athy Library, Co Kildare, Ireland. A specially created work exhibited in the birthplace of Antarctic Explorer, Ernest Shackleton as part of Co Kildare’s official Shackleton Centenary celebrations. The work is now part of the permanent collection of The Shackleton Museum Athy. https://shackletonmuseum.com/ernest-shackleton/artwork-inspired-by-shackleton/
2014
Elements, Íontas Arts Centre, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, Ireland.
2013
Rusting Roofs, Clew Bay Hotel Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2010
Blazing Roofs, The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim, Ireland.
2007
...the sea, the sea..., Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Group Shows:
2025
Bloodroot, Pulchri Studio, The Hague, Netherlands (opening 22 January). The Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, Ireland in association with Embassy of Ireland The Netherlands, and Pulchri Studio present this show with work inspired by four poems from Annemarie Ní Churreáin's collection, Bloodroot.
2024
143rd Annual Exhibition, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts (RUA), Ulster Museum, Belfast.
InHouse, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland. The exhibition shows the work of nine artists who were resident in the studios over the previous twelve months.
St Brigid’s Well: Irish Artists Exhibition, Nanchizi Art Museum, Beijing, China. (Invited artist). Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, and Dept of Foreign Affairs commissioned Aosdána poet Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin to write a poem in honour of St Brigid and invited 101 women artists to make a work in response to it.
2023
Winter Exhibition, 21st Anniversary, Custom House Studios + Gallery Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Biennial Exhibition 2023, an international Open Call Exhibition at The Ballinglen Arts
Foundation and Museum, Ballycastle, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Studio Artists Group Exhibition, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
193rd RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, Dublin, Ireland.
Plantae 2023, Society of Botanical Artists’ Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London,
England.
Where the Bee Sucks, Town Hall Theatre, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland. (Invited artist).
St Brigid’s Well, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, Ireland. (Invited artist).
2022
141st RUA Annual Exhibition, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Ulster Museum, Belfast,
Co Antrim, Ireland.
Arts Trail, Clifden Arts Festival, Co Galway, Ireland.
Summer Group Exhibition, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Cairde Visual, Cairde Sligo Arts Festival, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, Ireland.
2021
Mayo Artists Show, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland. Curated by Eamonn Maxwell.
Reopening, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland. An exhibition marking the reopening of the gallery after Covid.
2020
Winter Exhibition, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Westival Group Show (online), Westival Arts Festival, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2019
Straight Out of Ireland, an exhibition hosted by the Irish Diaspora Centre, Philadelphia, USA. An exhibition showcasing Irish and American contemporary art.
Mayo Day, Words of Mayo, National Museum of Ireland - Country Life, Castlebar, Ireland. Selected by Emer McGarry, Director at The Model, Sligo, Ireland.
Galway Fringe Festival, Galway, Ireland.
Brittle/Fragile, Westival Arts Festival, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Winter Show, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2018
I am, Westival Arts Festival, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2017
Cabinet of Wonders #4, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.
250 Works, Westport Arts Festival, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2016
Revisions, Ballina Arts Centre, Ballina, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2015
Mayo Artists Show, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.
North West Christmas Open, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, Ireland.
Mayo, God Help Us!, Claremorris Gallery, Co Mayo, Ireland. Selected by Catherine Marshall, art historian, curator, and critical writer and former Head of Collections at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, and by Patrick T. Murphy, Director of the Royal Hibernian Academy.
Galway Fringe Festival, Galway City Gallery, Eyre Square, Galway, Ireland.
BUSK, Hive Emerging Gallery, Waterford, Ireland.
Landscape in Line, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2014
North West Open Exhibition, Leitrim Sculpture Centre, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim, Ireland.
1 FT SQ, The Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Ireland.
Fly by Night, Westport Arts Festival, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2013
1 FT SQ, The Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Ireland.
Small Talk, Westport Arts Festival, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
We Want You, Avenue Road Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
2012
Easter Small Works 2012, The Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, Ireland.
2011
Mayo Artists Show, The Linenhall Art Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.
2010
(to date) Winter Show, The Trinity Gallery, Dublin.
Double Vision, Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Open Exhibition, Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Co Roscommon, Ireland.
2009
128th RUA Annual Exhibition, Royal Ulster Academy of Arts, Belfast, Co Antrim, Ireland. Making Waves, The Kenny Gallery, Galway, Ireland. Exhibition based on the theme of the sea to coincide with the city hosting a stopover for the International Volvo Ocean Race. Three works from the ‘Sea’ series were exhibited.
179th RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland.
2008
178th RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland.
Taispeántas Ealaíne an Oireachtais 2008, Cork Vision Centre, Ireland. Selected by Walter Verling, Imogen Stuart, and Maria Simmons Gooding.
2007
177th RHA Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland.
2005
Mayo Artists Show, The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Ireland.
Student Art Awards Exhibition, Royal Dublin Society (RDS), Ireland. Judging Panel: Chairman, Peter Murray, Curator of Crawford Art Gallery; Dr Abdul Bulbulia, representing the National Gallery of Ireland; James English, Royal Hibernian Academy.
Talks/Presentations:
2020
Invited to record a video presentation on the making of Shackleton’s Endurance by the Shackleton Museum Athy, Ireland. It was part of the programme for ‘Virtually Shackleton’, the 20th Shackleton Autumn School, and was delivered online because of Covid. The Museum use this video in their education programme for Primary and Secondary schools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktMdgjLJjM
2019
Artist Talk and Presentation as part of the Straight Out of Ireland exhibition schedule of events. Hosted by the Irish Diaspora Centre Philadelphia, USA.
Press/Reviews:
Earth Watch – interview by Áine Ryan, journalist with The Mayo News, 17 August 2021. Carried out in advance of the Seeing Earth exhibition at The Custom House Studios + Gallery, Westport, Co Mayo, Ireland, 26 August – 19 September 2021. https://www.mayonews.ie/news/living/1130488/earth-watch.html
Last chance to catch Seeing Earth – review by Ciara Moynihan, Living Editor with The Mayo News, 14 September 2021.
https://www.mayonews.ie/news/living/1130716/last-chance-to-catch-seeing-earth.html
Shackleton’s Endurance – review by Aidan Dunne, Visual Arts Critic with The Irish Times. Published in The Ticket, The Irish Times, ‘Gigs, shows and going out: seven day event guide’ (Wednesday), 17 March, 2017.
Shackleton’s Endurance shimmers and shines – review by Ciara Moynihan, Living Editor with The Mayo News, 15 March 2017. https://www.mayonews.ie/news/living/1116284/shackletons-endurance-shimmers-and-shines.html
Raising the roof – review by Ciara Moynihan, Living Editor with The Mayo News, 23 April 2013.
https://www.mayonews.ie/news/living/1099187/culture-raising-the-roof.html