Biography

Patrick Viale

Born in Ireland of Italian parents, Patrick Viale has lived most of his life in Ireland with frequent visits to the land of his forefathers, the influence of which can be seen in much of his work.

He is self-taught and paints mainly in oils. His paintings reflect his delight in vivid colour and his focus on the familiar: his home, his garden and the landscapes of Ireland and Liguria, the region in North-West Italy from which his family originates.

A critic for the Sunday Tribune commented that “his technique of mixing oils on the canvas instead of the palette gives a final intensity to the finished work. The rich colours add excitement and at the same time the picture exudes a sense of intimacy and warmth” while, reviewing his work in the Gerald Davis Gallery, in The Irish Times, Luke Clancy commented on the “evocative sights from Ireland and abroad, conveyed in milky, playful colours…..while atmosphere appears to be the main goal in his landscapes, Viale’s still-lives place the emphasis on more formal concerns, with one in particular, Golden Rod in Bowl, setting up some sprightly surface play with patterns of leaves”. A frequent exhibitor in Eigse Carlow, he won the Emerging Artist Award, at the festival’s annual exhibition in 1994, selected by Mick O’Dea, and was among the artists specially mentioned by Aiden Dunne in the Irish Times in his review of Eigse in 1999.

His work is held in private and public collections in Ireland and abroad. He has exhibited in the RHA Annual Exhibition in Dublin and the Summer Show, St. David’s Exhibition Hall, Cardiff. He won the Emerging Artist Award in Éigse Carlow Open Selection Exhibition.

Solo Exhibitions

Foyer Gallery, Andrew’s Lane

Davis Gallery, Dublin

Brock Gallery, Blackrock

Group Exhibitions

West Wales Arts Centre

CEER, Gallagher Gallery

Royal Hibernian Academy

Éigse, Carlow Arts Festival

Dunlavin Arts Festival

Wexford Festival Exhibition at Kellys Hotel, Rosslare Strand

Dublin Contemporary Arts Fair, RHK