Brian McCarthy is an accomplished Irish artist based in Dublin, renowned for his mastery in oil painting. His vibrant colours and photo-realistic style, which often border on the surreal, are central to his artistic expression.
Brian’s career took off in 1981 when a self-portrait was sold at the Douglas Hyde Gallery’s Living Art Exhibition. Since then, he has completed numerous commissions and achieved notable recognition. In 2019, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Zurich Portrait Prize hosted by the National Gallery of Ireland for his portrait of RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy, which was subsequently exhibited at the Crawford Gallery in Cork.
In 2010, Brian’s exhibition Boomtown received widespread media attention for capturing Ireland’s mood following the banking crisis and sold out within days. His equally successful Masquerade exhibition in 1996 focused on Venetian carnival masks and was acclaimed by critics and collectors alike. Writer Michael O’Sullivan described it as “a profound expression of painterly accomplishment and excellence.”
Additionally, Brian’s intricately detailed paintings have been showcased in numerous group shows at commercial galleries in Ireland and the UK, as well as the Royal Hibernian Academy’s annual exhibitions. His works have also been featured at fine art auctions, including Christie’s in London, and are held in various national and international private and corporate collections.
