All artworks by Sean Scully
Recognition
The Artist was highlighted in an article in ArtMajeur Magazine
Biography
Sean Scully was born on June 30, 1945, in Dublin and grew up in South London. Coming from a working-class background, he developed an early interest in art and began studying it seriously in his teens. He trained at Croydon College of Art and later at Newcastle University, where he embraced abstraction. A fellowship brought him to Harvard and then to New York in the mid-1970s, where he settled and eventually became a U.S. citizen.
Scully’s early work was influenced by Minimalism, but he gradually moved toward a more expressive, painterly style he called "emotional abstraction." He became known for his signature compositions of stripes, blocks, and grids—geometric forms that reflect structure but are charged with emotion, memory, and a sense of humanity. His paintings often suggest walls, windows, and architectural forms, inspired by places he lived or visited, such as Mexico and Barcelona.
Over the years, Scully has also worked in sculpture, printmaking, photography, and writing. His work has been widely exhibited in leading museums around the world, including MoMA in New York, the National Gallery in London, and institutions across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He has received multiple honors, including Turner Prize nominations and honorary doctorates.
Though often associated with abstraction, Scully’s work stands apart for its emotional intensity and physical presence. He continues to live and work between New York, Germany, and Spain, and remains one of the most influential painters of his generation.
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Nationality:
IRELAND
- Date of birth : 1945
- Artistic domains: No artwork available yet
- Groups: Contemporary Irish Artists Artists presented by a gallery