STORY OF AN ARTIST

Ciaran’s Artistic career started out when he joined a group of cross community Mural painters in 2007 aged 23 and over the next few years began to paint the walls of Belfast. Somewhere along the way he decided to go to the York Street Art College. And in his first year there he entered a large painting into the annual RUA exhibition and won the Irish News award for Depicting the theme Ireland Today. 

 

Encouraged by his initial success he finished college selling his final year show to the Arts Council along the way.

 

He was introduced to Willie Jack the owner of the Duke of York Pub in Belfast and began to fill its walls with satirical Paintings Depicting various aspects of Northern Irish culture. Making these Courtyard areas a destination for selfie taking tourists on walking tours. The Mural Garden as it is now known has become a venue for special events including weddings music events, festival launches. It has even hosted state visits most notably from the President of Ireland Catherine Connolly and Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar.

 

Through this work he attracted the attention of the International Mural Convention and was invited to paint a mural at their annual gathering in Newfoundland. Where he met some of the worlds best known Mural painters including John Pugh. The following year he assisted John painting his famous Trompe L'oeil  Murals at various locations in North America.

 

Ciaran is very influenced by animation and the sequential art found in Graphic novels, animation and Storyboards. This is reflected in his work in which he tries to tell stories using various characters. 

 

In 2021 Ciaran won the Silver Award at The Royal Ulster Academy's annual exhibition for his painting of 'Mateuzs'. This was part of an ongoing series of paintings that depict the characters that he meets mostly in Belfast, where he lives and works.

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Ciaran was invited to become a associate member of the RUA in 2022 and asked to facilitate a number of workshops and presentations in collaboration with The Ulster Museum.

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Continuing on the Belfast Characters theme he painted Tony Dunlop "The Boxer" in 2023 for the RUA exhibition and won the Gold Award that year.

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In 2025 he opened his first Major Solo Exhibition "Half Bap Workers" in The Sea Holly Gallery in Belfast. The opening was attended by The King and Queen of England as part of their visit to Northern Ireland.

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In 2026 he Painted a large mural in the Dark Horse Mural Garden depicting local traditional musicians in celebration of the upcoming All Ireland Fleabh Cheoil's first ever visit to Belfast. All the musicians depicted played at the unvailing of the work and over the Fleabh the Mural garden became a hotspot for visiting musicians.

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