Niall Leavy

Niall is an artist working from his studio in the village of Stamullen, Co. Meath, north of Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland.

Blending his careers as a public servant, a psychologist, coach and an artist, Niall gains strength and energy from consciously choosing to focus on the positive aspects of all situations.

Using watercolour and 22.5 carat gold leaf on paper, Niall’s art taps into positivity, with each of his signature small squares representing a ‘moment’, a ‘positive moment’. Each individual piece Niall creates is typically the result of a process of developing multiple layers, with elements of each layer protected and other elements washed, brushed and / or rubbed away, all the time building a ‘history' on the paper. For Niall, each square aims to reflect and capture the richness of experience contributing to, and feelings experienced in, each 'positive moment’.

Niall is constantly looking to bring new dimensions to his work. Over the last couple of years he has introduced the very striking circular forms, the Irish Flag, commemorating the 100 year anniversary of the Irish Rebellion in 1916, and most recently has started incorporating patterns from historical Irish wallpapers, originally dating from the 1700’s and 1800’s . The final line in the David Skinners book on ‘Wallpaper in Ireland 1700 - 1900’, captures the essence of Niall’s exploration:

‘Any piece of historic wallpaper can be the starting point of a web of object-centred lines of enquiry, leading down multiple paths and building into something which might, in its own way, create a pattern worth tracing.’

Niall’s vibrant, distinctive and uplifting work, primarily through the vision and commitment of the Sol Gallery in promoting Irish art and artists to international audiences, has featured in shows in Milan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Dublin, London, Seoul, Edinburgh, Stockholm and New York City.

Pat Wallace, the retired Director of the National History Museum, described Niall’s art as ‘reflecting a riot of rhythm and colour, with each piece capturing a world in itself, a mental landscape, a moment of equilibrium.’