Artist Profile - Christy Keeney

Christy Keeney

Christy Keeney studied ceramics at the Royal College of Art in London. He was commissioned by the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi to work on a portrait of Richard Rodgers, for an exhibition at the National portrait gallery in London 1988.

His figurative ceramics are an investigation into the human condition, and his forms are stretched to the point where sculpture and drawing overlap. After spending 17 years in London, Christy Keeney returned to his native Donegal where he now lives and works. His sculpted slab built heads and figures demonstrate a wonderful sence of draughtmanship as details are drawn into the wet clay surface.

"I visited a retrospective exhibition of Picasso, at the Tate gallery, in the early 80s when I was at college, and many of my influences came from seeing that work. Especially a collection of small card-board cutout and folded, figurative sculptures. These simple two dimensional pieces opened a world of possibilities on how I would approach my own work."