Damien Flood
Damien Flood’s paintings stem from an interest in early writings on philosophy, theology, alchemy and the natural sciences. He uses these as starting points to explore the mutability of reality and language. The paintings he creates balance somewhere between landscape and figuration. They are psychological portraits and maps to different worlds. Flood is interested in creating a duality in his imagery, exploring how one image can contain multiple meanings and readings. Most recently Flood has begun making cermic works in the form of figures and vases. They expand on his interest in how we see and read the world, sometimes in a more direct and humourous way.
A primary concern in Flood’s paintings is how we see and read the world around us. Using a gestural and intuitive line, he creates images that relay his experience of the places he visits and the people he meets. The influences in Flood’s paintings are wide, ranging from collecting oral histories of small coastal towns to research trips to deserts in Dubai and Sharjah. During these periods of research he leaves himself open to the experiences that present themselves, allowing one meeting to lead to another.
The people and cultures Flood encounters are only tentatively documented through drawing and audio recordings. In the studio an almost archaeological process occurs, intuitively painting and allowing different themes and motifs to arrive naturally on the canvas. The titles of each work, usually a one word title, act as a guide for the viewer. They can be read as a key to his thinking behind the work, and the research that brought him there. The titles themselves can often have dual meanings, opening up the reading of the work even further.
Flood’s paintings create a re-imaging of the world by merging the stories, experiences and memories through the medium of paint. Puzzles, mysteries and questions are presented, through a mixing of different languages and view points, to create a place for meditative reflection. The images Flood produces mix the universal and the personal, the grand and the absurd. They try to communicate something that escapes written word; something that is experienced and felt.
Damien graduated from the MA in Fine Art, NCAD in 2008. He immediately was selected to exhibit in the John Moores contemporary painting exhibition in Liverpool followed by the Saatchi Space in London during Frieze ’08.
Since then he has been in numerious group exhibitions including Known Unknowns, Limerick City Gallery, Wouldn’t it be nice if we could dream together? Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA (both 2017), The Studio Chronicles at RH Contemporary, New York (2015), Product Recall, Galway Arts Centre, Galway (2015), NGORONGORO, Lehder Strasse 34, Berlin (2015), Cú Chulainn Comforted, Basic Space, Dublin (2015), Promise of Palm Trees, Breese Little, London, (2015), Pull Bite Rally, NCAD Gallery, Dublin (2014). Renew, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin (2014,) Was Uns Trend, Glue, Berlin (2014). In 2013, he exhibited in the group exhibition Island: New Art From Ireland in Galleria Civica diModena, Italy; in the three-person show Flood/NiBhriain/Vari at DOMOBAAL, London; and the group show Cafe Paridiso (Least common denominator, or Rustenschacher) at M1, Hohenlockstedt, Germany. In 2012, he was part of the group show Making Familiar at Temple Bar Gallery, Crystalline at Millennium Court Arts Centre and Last at Douglas Hyde Gallery. He has been selected for the John Moores Contemporary Painting Prize in 2008 and 2010. In 2014 he was the recipient of the Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Travel Bursary administered by the Royal Hibernian Academy and in 2015 was awrded the DLR Lexicon 2016 Commsision. Most recently Flood was awarded the Eigse Hotron Award 2017.
After receiving the Royal Hibernian Academy's Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Travel Bursary in 2014 Damien undertook a research trip to Dubai which has resulted in the solo exhibition Infinite Plane at Gray Noise in Dubai (2015). The work exhibited explores the juxtaposition of the newly built landscape with the surrounding historical sites.
Other solo exhibitions include Theory of Two Centres, Stephane Simoens, Knokke (2017), Carrion Flowers, The Cabin, LA (2017), Terra Incognita, DLR Lexicon (2016), Interior Sun, Green On Red Gallery (2014), Theatre of the World, Ormston House, Limerick (2012), History of the Visitation, Green On Red Gallery (2011), Counter Earth, Green On Red Gallery (2010). In 2011 he was shortlisted for the Focus Abengoa Painting Prize in Seville, Spain. In 2012 Damien was selected to participate in the Marmite Painting Prize. The exhibition travelled to five UK venues, the Central Art Gallery, Tameside, the Mackintosh Museum, Glasgow, the Ruskin Gallery,
Publications include: The Figure in the Carpet, 2018 Theory of Two Centres, 2017, Afterworlds, 2013, Spectral Gallery, 2011, Selected Works, 2010.Cambridge, The Gallery at Plymouth College of Art and Tannery Arts, London.
Damien continues to live and work in Dublin.
EXHIBITIONS WITH THE GREEN ON RED GALLERY:
As Above, So Below, 06 February - 28 March 2025
Dig, 21 October - 27 November 2022
The Figure in the Carpet, 30 Nov 2018 - 26 Jan 2019
A Root that Turns as the Sun Turns, 19 Oct - 27 Nov 2016
Interior Sun, 16 Oct - 01 Mar 2014
History of the Visitation, 11 Nov - 10 Mar 2011
Counter Earth, 28 Jan - 20 Mar 2010
Solo Exhibitions
2025 As Above, So Below, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin 2023 A Place for Lost Things, Galeria Weber & Weber, Turin, Italy 2022 Dig, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin 2019 Tilt, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin 2018 Shape of Things, Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA, USA 2017 The Figure in the Carpet, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Theory of Two Centres, Stephane Simoens, Knock-Heist, Belgium 2016 Carrion Flowers, The Cabin, La Brea, LA, USA , A Root that Turns as the Sun Turns, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin 2015 Terra Incognita, DLR Lexicon Commission, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland 2014 Infinite Plane, Grey Noise, Dubai, 2012 UAE Interior Sun, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 2011 Theatre of the World, curated by Mary Conlon, Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland , Upland, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland 2010 History of the Visitation, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Counter Earth, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Group exhibitions
2025 ArtSG 25, Singapore 2024 Lovers, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin 2023 Salon, Liminal Gallery, Margate , The Armory Show, New York 2021 Try a little... Tenderness, Liminal Gallery, Margate 2020 Niamh McCann and Damien Flood, Two person show, Courhouse Gallery, Clare , Vienna Contemporary, Green On Red Gallery, Vienna, Austria 2019 Great Small Works, Stephane Simoens, Knokke, Belgium 2018 Volta 15, Green On Red Gallery, Basel, Switzerland , Damien Flood / Herbert Warmuth, Thomas Rehbein, Cologne, Germany , Sea Change, DLR Lexicon, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland , Museum of Mythological Water Beasts, Ormston House, Limerick, Ireland , Elevate: Irish contemporary art drawn from the Arts Council of Ireland, Luan Gallery, Athlone, Ireland 2017 Known Unknowns, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick, Ireland , Art Dusseldorf, with Green On Red Gallery and Thomas Rehbein Galerie, Dusseldorf, Germany , Wouldn’t it be nice if we could dream together ?, Diane Rosenstein Gallery, LA, USA , Volta 13, Green On Red Gallery, Basel, Switzerland , 2116: Forecast of the next century, Broad Art Museum, Michigan, USA , 2116: Forecast of the next century, Glucksman, Cork, Ireland , A Fine Line, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 2015 FIAC Officielle, Paris, France , The Studio Chronicles, RH Contemporary Art, New York, NY, USA , Product Recall, Galway Arts Centre, Galway, Ireland , NGORONGORO, Lehder Strasse, Berlin, Germany , Cú Chulainn Comforted, Basic Space, Dublin, Ireland 2014 Promise of Palm Trees, Breese Little, London, UK , Renew, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Pull, Bite, Rally, NCAD Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Was Uns Trend, Glue, Berlin-Kreuzberg, Germany 2013 Artissima, Turin, Italy , Island: New Art from Ireland, curated by Fiona Kearney Galleria Civica di Modena, Modena, Italy , Flood/Ni Bhriain/Vari DOMOBAAL, London, UK 2012 Cafe Paridiso (Least common denominator, or Rustenschacher), curated by Annette Hans, Afthur , BoskampStiftung/M.1 Hohenlockstedt, Germany , Pallas Periodical Review, Pallas Projects / Studios, Dublin, Ireland , Marmite Painting Prize, touring exhibition, London, UK , Crystalline, Millennium Court Arts Centre, Armagh, Ireland 2011 Making Familiar, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Last, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 2010 Artissima, Turin, Italy , Three, Theodore :Art, New York, NY, USA , John Moores Painting Prize, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK , Futures 10, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, Ireland , Unbuilding Project, curated by Cliodhna Shaffrey, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland 2009 Timespace, The BCA Gallery, Ballvaughan, Clare, Ireland , Castles in the Sky, Unbuilding, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland , Painting Today, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland 2008 Dawning of an Aspect, Green On Red Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Anopseudonymous, 500 Dollars, London, UK , Mark, Oonagh Young Gallery, Dublin, Ireland , Saatchi Emerging Artists Booth, Scope Art Fair, London, UK , John Moores Painting Prize, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK , About 100 Experiments, Birr, Offaly, Ireland MFA Graduate Show, Digital Hub, Dublin, Ireland 2007 Mermaid Open Submission, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland , Big Store, Temple Bar Galleries & Studios, Dublin, Ireland , Gold Star, 1st year MFA Group Show, The Back Loft, Dublin, Ireland 2006 DeadArt Squared, White Room, Galway, Ireland , Mermaid Open Submission, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland 2005 Vending Machine Project, Dublin, Ireland , Mermaid Open Submission, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland , Mermaid Open Submission, Mermaid Arts Centre, Wicklow, Ireland , Iontas Sixteenth National Small Works Art Exhibition, Sligo Art Gallery, Sligo; Millennium Court , Arts Centre, Portadown; Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick, Ireland
Honours and Awards
Arts Council of Ireland Bursary Award, 2014/2011/2018/2020/2022/2023/2024
Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris Residency Award, 2018
Short List, Golden Fleece Award, 2018
2017 Hotron Éigse Prize, 2017
Wicklow Art Grant, Wicklow County Council, 2017
Culture Ireland Travel Award, 2017
DLR Lexicon 2016 Commision, 2015
Elizabeth Fitzpatrick Travel Bursary, 2014
Short List, Thames and Hudson 100 Painters of Tomorrow, 2014
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Arts Council Bursary Award, 2014/2012
Culture Ireland Travel Award, 2015/2011
John Moores Painting Prize, 2010/2008
National College of Ireland Purchase Award, 2008
Public Collections
European Central Bank, Frankfurt, Germany
The Arts Council of Ireland, Ireland
Office of Public Works, Ireland
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Art Collection, Ireland
Mayson Hayes and Curran, Dublin, Ireland
National College of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Selected Press
Small Night: Damien Flood: Today, 2022 https://smallnight.org/art-text/damienflood-today
Whom You Know: Movers and Shakers Interview by Peachy Deegan, April 2017 http://www.whomyouknow.com/2017/04/movers-and-shakers-damien-flood.html#.W8C1A1JJmks
Frieze Critics Pick ‘A Root that Turns as the Sun Turns’ at Green On Red Gallery by Gemma Tipton, November 2016 Link: https://frieze.com/article/critics-guide-dublin-0
The Irish Times, Review of ‘Terra Incognita’ at DLR Lexicon by Aidan Dunne, August 2016 Link: http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/art-and-design/visual-art/a-chance-to-see-through-michaelsnow-s-influential-eyes-1.2754170
Modern Painters highlight ‘Infinite Plane’ at Grey Noise. May 2015
Artforum, Review of ‘Interior Sun’ at Green On Red Gallery by Gemma Tipton. February 2014 Link: https://www.artforum.com/index.php?pn=picks&id=45248&view=print
Sunday Times Culture, Review of ‘Interior Sun’ By JP O’Sullivan. February 2014 Link: http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1366283.ece
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/damien_flood/
MORE INFORMATION:
For more information or purchase enquiries contact the gallery.