Brian Ferran HRUA
Brian Ferran was born in Derry and became an art teacher, teaching for three years. A graduate of the Courtauld Institute of London University and of Brera Academy, Milan, he is a former Chief Executive of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. Since 1963, he has undertaken public and private commissions and has exhibited paintings regularly in Europe and North America. At Oireachtas Exhibitions in 1965 and 1976 he won the Douglas Hyde Gold Medal for Irish historical painting and in 1970 he was a Leverhulme European Scholar. He is an Honorary Member of the RHA and the RUA and exhibits annually at the exhibitions of both institutions. In 2014, he was awarded the RUA perpetual gold medal. Recently he was artist–in–residence at the Wentworth Coolidge State Heritage Museum, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA and at the Cill Rialaig Project, Co. Kerry. His paintings are in public and private collections, including the Arts Council of Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland; Crawford Municipal Art Gallery; Donegal County Council; Wexford County Council; Ulster Museum; National Self–Portrait Gallery; Derry City Council; Belfast Education and Library Board; First Trust Bank; Northern Bank; Allied Irish Bank; Institute of Public Administration, Northern Ireland; Allied Irish Bank; Institute of Public Administration, Northern Ireland; Dept of the Environment; Office of Public Works; Irish Contemporary Art Society; Irish American Cultural Institute; Dermot Desmond; Vincent & Noeleen Ferguson; Gordon Lambert; George & Maura McClelland; University of Ulster; Queen’s University; University College, Cork; St. Mary’s University College; Stranmillis College; Boston College; Fergus Falls Community College, Minnesota; Fordham University St. John Fisher College, New York and Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados. His persistent themes are based on Irish mythology, archaeology and historical events. He draws his images from an eclectic collection of memorabilia, selected from bulging portfolios of magazine clippings, drawings, photographs, exhibition catalogues and other printed ephemera, some dating back 50 years. He explores the lore of familiar places and rediscovers past, forgotten mages which imbue his paintings with a ‘palpable intensity and a sense of magic.’