Profile
Seamus Moran
2023
info@seamusmoran.com 07786328420 seamus7160 (Instagram)
I like to work with combinations of seemingly incompatible ideas and forms to produce my sculptures. Inspired by childhood memories of museum visits, fossils and armour, and my industry background in mould-making I aim to produce work that is convincing & meticulously constructed. For many years I have worked by casting knots salvaged from dead trees and turning them into complex organic abstracts. Whilst I still use this method much of my recent work has focused on more figurative themes, often with a strong social comment. I use a lot of widely different materials and construction methods often having to learn completely new techniques and skills. Very different in some ways to my previous body of work, but retaining the realism and the feeling that these pieces could be museum exhibits from a parallel universe. My objective is to give body to my own insights on human and social conditions through these dark, slightly humorous sculptures, questioning accepted values and asthetics by the rethinking of familiar objects.
I graduated with a Ba (hons) in Ceramics with Glass from Birmingham polytechnic in 1984 and went on to work in the pottery industry in Stoke on Trent as a sculptor and mould-maker.
I started exhibiting my own sculptures in galleries in 2002. My work has been shown around the UK and in 2008 I won the People’s choice award at The National sculpture competition at Liverpool’s Bluecoat 2 gallery.
In 2013 I was shortlisted for the Threadneedle prize at The Mall galleries in London for my work “Urban Burka”.
“Harness” won best of show at the Passion for Freedom festival at the Embassy tea gallery in 2014 and has since been displayed at the Royal Armouries sites including a three month residency at The Tower of London. It was also part of the RSS exhibition “Together we rise” at Chichester Cathedral in 2022.
My work ”Decade” won best installation award at the NOAC in 2106. I represented Cornwall in the Interceltique festival in Lorient, France in 2017.
I am currently a featured artist in the book “State of art : Sculpture & 3D #2” in the series from Barehill publishing. http://www.seamusmoran.com
I am a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, and an associate member of the Penwith Society of artists. I am also a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists and sit on the committee
I am also part of the mentoring program at Newlyn School of Art
I have two sculptures permanently installed at Tremenheere Sculpture gardens in Gulval, Penzance.
Ba Hons 3D design (specialising in Ceramics with glass.)
Birmingham Polytechnic Faculty of Art & Design 1981-1984
Queen Mary’s Grammar School Walsall 1974-1981
Exhibitions (group):
NSA Autumn Exhibition, Tremenheere galleries, Penzance 12th Oct – 3rd Nov 2024
Penwith Society of Arts, Summer exhibition, St Ives 26th Jul – 24th Aug 2024
NSA Where the line breaks, 29th Mar – 21st April 2024 Tremenheere galleries, Penzance
Casting Shadows. ACE arts, Somerton, 2nd March – 6th April 2024
Penwith society of arts Spring exhibition, St Ives 2nd Feb – 2nd Mar 2024
NSA Showcase 2023, Tremenheere galleries, Penzance 14th Oct – 5th Nov 2023
ACE arts open, Somerton, 14th Oct -11th Nov 2023
Wanderland, Tremenheere galleries, Penzance 1st July – 5th August 2023
Together we Rise, Chichester Cathedral, 27th June -6th September 2022
Political Art, Ujazdowski Castle centre for contemporary art, Warsaw Poland, 2021/2022
Sol Force, Tremenheere sculpture gardens Penzance, 19th June 2019
Modern Panic, Archive gallery London 16th -25th November 2018
20th National Open art competition, Mercers Hall , London. 27th October -4th November 2016
7th Passion for Freedom festival 2015 , Mall galleries, London 21st – 26th Sept 2015
Penwith society of arts, Spring exhibition 2015, St Ives 13th Feb – 15th Apr 2015
6th Passion for freedom festival 2014, Embassy tea gallery, London
(Winner first prize) 5th Nov=- 15th Nov 2014
London calling, Brick lane London 10th Oct – 21 Oct 2013
The Threadneedle prize, Mall galleries London (shortlisted) 25th Sept – 12th Oct 2013
“ Limbo” The Old Coffin Store, Truro 28 March – 14th April 2013
“The Possessed”, Charlie Smith London 6th May-28th May 2011
“Species”, Falmouth art gallery 24th April – 27th June 2009
“4Cast”, Gallery 49, Falmouth 28th Oct – 17th Nov 2008
“Out of bounds”, Exchange gallery, Penzance 28th Sept 2008
“Art & insects “, Cube 3 gallery, Plymouth 3rd Sept – 19th Oct 2008
Winner “People’s choice prize”, Bluecoat 2 National sculpture competition, Liverpool
8th Aug – 13th Sept 2008
“Four blokes & a chick” , Helston Gallery 20th June – 4th July 2008
South West Academy Open exhibition, Plymouth 26th July – 8th Aug 2008
Goldfish Fine Art, Penzance March 2008
“Patterns of growth” Trebah Gardens 2 -26th Sept 2004
Falmouth festival of Arts & literature, Pendennis Castle Falmouth Sept 2003
“Garden Delights”, Falmouth Art Gallery 6th May-23 June 2003
Exhibitions (solo):
Seamus Moran selected works, Dadiani fine art,
Cork street, London 30th Sept – 10th Nov 2017
Interceltique festival, Lorient, France August 4th- 14th 2017
Transformer 108 Fine art, Harrogate April 16th – May 7th 2013
Black Swan arts, Frome Somerset Oct 18th – Nov 16th 2013
“Random precision” Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro 13th Oct 2012 – 30th Jan 2013
“Sticks & stones” Gallery 49, Falmouth 26th Nov-24th Dec 2009
“Untempted by heaven” Gallery 49, Falmouth 22nd Oct- 10th Nov 2007
Gallery 49, Falmouth 31st Oct – 18th Nov 2006
Mezzanine gallery, Helston folk museum 5th July-1st Aug 2003
Steele gallery FAC, Falmouth 11th-17th August 2003
Mezzanine gallery, Helston Folk museum 28th Sept-11th Oct 2002
Steele gallery, FAC, Falmouth 6th-12th April 2002
Awards/Membership
People’s choice prize Bluecoat 2 National sculpture competition 2008
Threadneedle prize, Shortlisted artist 2013
1st place award Passion for Freedom exhibition 2014
Associate member Penwith Society of Arts 2014
Member of Royal British society of sculptors 2015
Best Installation award 20th National Open Art Competition 2016
Member Newlyn Society of Arts 2023
Featured artist in the book “State of art : Sculpture & 3D #2” in the series from Barehill publishing.
Urban Burka used as cover picture on “Data” by Seth Abramson
Cornwall today magazine July 2016
The Times 8th March 2017
