IMPORTANT IRISH ART 1 DECEMBER 2025

122 86 WilliamMcKeown (19 62 -2011) FOREVER PAINTING - THE MORNING, 2, 2002 acrylic on canvas; (unframed) signed, titled, dated and with Kerlin Gallery exhibition label on reverse 19 by 18in. (48.3 by 45.7cm) Frame Size: Provenance: Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, 2002; Private collection Exhibited: ‘Forever Paintings, William McKeown’, Kerlin Gallery, Dublin, 5 July to 3 August 2002 Born and raised on a farm in Tyrone, William McKeown sought inspiration within his surroundings. Fascinated by nature and the outdoors, McKeown’s works capture and make tangible the openness and primitive beauty of the world we live in. The artist creates a conversation between the expansiveness and infinite character of nature and the primacy of emotions and feelings as part of human experience. Working with monochrome tones and minimalist influences, McKeown began his artistic training in London before graduating with a degree in Design from the Glasgow School of Art in 1987. He later moved to Dublin where he worked at the Kerlin Gallery until 1991 leading to a life-long partnership with his first solo show presented in 1996. The Morning - 2 is part of the series Forever Paintings exhibited at the Kerlin Gallery in 2002 offering an observation and study of the depth and transcendental character of the morning sky. McKeown’s paintings can be identified by their ‘off-square’ shape, symptomatic of a desire by the artist to emancipate from geometric conventions and pursue an ideal of freedom and inclusivity. Along with painting, McKeown realised installations and curated exhibitions such as ‘The Holiday Show’ at the Royal Hibernian Academy in 2002 and was invited to represent Northern Ireland at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005. He was made a member of Aosdána in 2008. His works have been presented in numerous solo and group shows, including in the recent exhibition ‘Take a Breath’ held in the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2024. The exhibition ‘William McKeown: And that moment the bird sings very close to the music of what happens’ is currently running at the Metropolitan Arts Centre, Belfast, until 4 January 2026. Eva Cadars, November 2025 €10,000-€15,000 (£8,770-£13,160 approx.) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot86