Our Artists

David Lilburn

David Lilburn is a visual artist and printmaker.

Maps / map-making, landscape and the graphic techniques of intaglio printmaking are continuous sources of inspiration for his work. There is a strong narrative interest in his images, which are packed with topographical, historical and anecdotal information.

Drawing is central preoccupation which underpins his graphic work.

He studied history at Trinity College Dublin, and art at the Scuole Istituto Statale D’Arte, Urbino, and Limerick School of Art and Design.

He is a member of Limerick Printmakers, an associate member of Cork Printmakers and a Trustee of the National Self-Portrait Collection.

Exhibitions

Solo Shows

Solo Exhibitions

2009 Walking Drawing Making Memory, Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara 2007 Way Points, Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare

In Medias Res, James Joyce Centre, Dublin,

In Full Flight, Chris Doswell Gallery, Limerick
1999 The Usurpers Habit, Galway Arts Centre, Siamsa Tíre, Tralee,

Bourn Vincent Gallery, Limerick,
1994 Lets Take a Walk and Other Prints, Chris Doswell Gallery, Limerick, 1994

Andiamo Passiagare, Palazzo della Penna, Perugia, Italy
1991 Homeground, National Touring Exhibition, Ireland, Monoprints by David Lilburn

Two Person Shows

2017 Killaloe, Killaloe Music Festival, with Lorraine Wall
1993 New Work, with Michael Byrne, Vanguard Gallery, Macroom, Co. Cork
1986 Once Off – Recent Work by David Lilburn and Michael Byrne, Limerick City Gallery of Art 1984 New Works, with Joe Wilson; Peacock Gallery, Craigavon, N. Ireland;
1983 with Joe Wilson, Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick, Grapevine Centre, Dublin

Collective

2021 12th Biennale Internationale d’Estampe Contemporaine de Trois-Rivières, Canada. 2020 20 years of Change, Ink Shop, Ithaca, NY

III Mini Print 2020 International, Cantabria, Spain
Lessedra 19th World Art Print Annual Mini Print Exhibition, Bulgaria Statio Bene: Art and Ireland’s Maritime Haven, Crawford Gallery, Cork RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
RUA Annual Exhibition, Belfast
Cork in Print, The Print Gallery, Nano Nagle Place, Cork
Inaugural exhibition, Ballinglen Museum of Contemporary Art

2019 The Mouth of a Shark, Edinburgh Printmakers
Impressions Printmaking Biennial, curated by Ian Ritchie CBE RA, Galway Lessedra 18th World Art Print Annual Mini Print Exhibition, Bulgaria
14th International graphic Art Biennial Dry Point, Uzice, Serbia
19th International Biennial of Engraving Sarcelles, France
Discover Print, Greenacres, Wexford
Cork Printmakers at the Lavit, Cork
Limerick printmakers at 20, Hunt Museum in Limerick, Luan Gallery in Athlone

2018 Italian-Irish Connections / Stampa Ora, A collaborative exhibition project between the Association Nazionale Incisori Contemporanei & Cork Printmakers, touring to Treviso, Sardinia, Cork and Waterford, curated by Anne Hodge, Curator of Prints, at The National Gallery of Ireland

State of Print, curated by Limerick Printmakers, at Encuetro y Conferencia Internacional

Multidisciplinar de Grafica / Impact 10, Santander 2018, Ambaixada de Barcelona, Espai Cultural EINA, Barcelona,
Biennial Mini Print, Impact 10, Santander 2018
The Naked Truth, Crawford Gallery Cork, 2018 and

Léargas, Connemara Observed, Clifden Arts Festival

2017 Killaloe, Killaloe Music Festival RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

1916 in Contemporary Art, Crawford Cork, City Museum, Galway 2016 25, City Hall, Cork.

15th Lessedra World Art Print Annual-Mini Print 2016, Bulgaria
Seacourt’s International Mini Print Biennial, The Centre for Contemporary Printmaking, Bangor, FE McWilliam Gallery and Down Art Centre
Voyage Boxed, Quebec, Toronto, Montreal and travelling.
Cork Printmakers at the Lavit Gallery, Cork
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
Hope, Glór, Ennis
1916 in Contemporary Art, Toradh Gallery, Co. Meath, and travelling

2015 International Print Triennial – Krakow 2015
XII International Graphic Art Biennial Dry Point, Uzice

Impressions Biennial, Galway
Plan A and Plan B, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Carlow, Hang Zhou RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
KALEID 2015, London, Oslo
Limerick Printmakers at the Hunt Museum, Limerick
Galway Print Studio, Galway
A Natural Selection, Skull, Co Cork, and travelling
Senza Cornice, RiflessiDiVersi X, La Torre dei Lambardi, Maggione Visions of Now, Limerick City Gallery of Art
All things considered, CIT Gallery, Cork

2014 Voyage Boxed, Norwich UK and travelling.
A Natural Selection, Galleri Astley, Uttersberg, Sweeden; Konstforum in Norkopping, Sweden; Lavit Gallery, Cork; Greenacres, Wexford and travelling Nova, An exhibition of new works by Cork Printmakers’ membersCIT Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork
Synergy, Connections to Limerick, Bourn Vincent Gallery, Limerick
Personal Selection, twenty artists from the Limerick School of Art and Design, Selected by John Shinnors’ Church Gallery, LSAD, Limerick
Limerick Printmakers at the Culture Factory, Avilles and travelling in Spain
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

2013 Voyage: sea journeys, island hopping & trans-oceanic concepts, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany

Open Submission 2013, Limerick Printmakers, curated by Charles Harper.

A Natural Selection, Botanic Gardens, Dublin 2012 Islands, Custom House Gallery, Westport.

202nd Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Open Submission Print Show 2012, Limerick Printmakers, Curated by Marianne Keating

Impressions 2012, Curated by Norman Ackroyd Galway
A Rocky Road, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork, curated by Sean Lynch Limerick Printmakers Studio & Gallery, Kulturwerk des bbk berlin GmbH

Marathon Irish, Dialogue Culture Space, in London’s East End. Cork Printmaker at 21, Wandesford Quay Gallery, City Hall, Cork Cork Printmakers, The Cornmarket Centre Cork
Winter Show, Custom House Gallery, Westport

2011 The Swimming Naked Prophecy, Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge; Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray; Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co. Wicklow, (Clinton Arts Centre, Enniskillen, 2012 ) curated by Norah Hickey
201st Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

Fine Lines, a selection of work from the National Collection of Contemporary Drawing, Limerick City Gallery of Art
Limerick Printmakers Open Submission Print Show 2011

2010 OPEN/INVITED e v+a 2010 – Matters, Limerick
BIMPE VI, Sixth Biennial International Minature Print Exhibition, Vancouver 200th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Editions, Lavit Gallery, Cork
Open Submission Print Show, curated by Jim Sheehy, Limerick Printmakers Excitement on Robert Street, Limerick Printmakers

2009 Burst Into Bloom, Glór, Ennis, Co.Clare
29th Mini Print International of Cadaques, Catalunya

Artist’s Proof, a collaboration between the Graphic Studio and Chester Beatty X, a collaboration between Limerick Printmakers and RTE Lyric FM. No 2 Pery 7th International Biennial of Contemporary Engraving, Liège, Belgium, 2009 179th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

2008 BIMPE V, Fifth Biennial International Minature Print Exhibition, Vancouver Open Submission Print Show, Limerick Printmakers, selected by Suzannah Charles Tyrell Selects, Cork Printmakers, Kinsale Arts Week
Into landscape, Galway Arts Centre, curated by Jim Savage

All Hung Up, Limerick Printmakers
Is Mise Ireland, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou,
178th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

2007 Into landscape, Macroom and travelling Ireland,
Cork Printmakers at the Horace Mann Gallery, New York, curated by
Prawat Lauchareon
177th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin,
Cead in China, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou,
8th International Drypoint Biennal, Uzice, Yougoslavia
Small Print/Big Impression, Leicester and travelling UK,
Open Submission Print Show, Limerick Printmakers, curated by Chris Doswell

Library, Dublin Square, Limerick

O’Reilly

2006 Ireland – St.Petersburg, Nabakov Museum, St. Petersburg (Russia),
From Landscape, Crawford Gallery, Co.Cork and Mermaid Gallery, Co.Wicklow Galway Arts Centre, curated by Jim Savage,
Impressions, Galway Art Centre, Curated by Chris Plowman
Within and Without, The White Room Gallery, Galway and travelling Ireland,
Curated by Ruairi O’ Cúiv

2005 6×6 Tri Showcase, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, China 175th Ann Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

Iontas, 16th National Small Works Exhibition, Sligo Art Gallery, Yeats Memorial 2004 Taking Stock, Triskel, Cork; Halsinglands Museum, Hudiksvall, Sweden

Textures, Lavit Gallery, Cork
Impressions, Galway Arts Centre
From Inniskeen to Parnassus, Patrick Kavanagh Centenary, Monaghan 174th Annual Exhibition, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin

2003 14 Artists, 1 Place, Holter Museum, Montana, USA Bláth Buí na Bealtaine, Limerick

173rd RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

Cork Printmakers Annual Show, travelling, Ireland 2002 Line / Exploration, Lavit Gallery, Cork
Print Alternatives, Skibereen, Co.Cork

172nd RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin Hope and Homes, Limerick Templebar Galleries

Building, Sligo

2001 Working against the void, an exhibition interpreting the poetry of Padraic Fallon, Athenry Focus on drawing, the Limerick City Gallery of Art and the Crawford Gallery, Cork , NCAD Dublin
171st RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

As I see myself, an exhibition held in conjunction with the National Self-Portrait Collection UL. Limerick
Limerick Printmakers, Limerick

2000 Cork Printmakers Inaugural Show, Nuala Fenton Gallery, Wandesford Quay, Cork Second Limerick Mini Print Exhibition, Chris Doswell Gallery, Limerick
170th RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

1999 Mini print show, Impact, Bristol 169th RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin

First Impressions, Chris Doswell Gallery, Limerick
Sheen falls, Kenmare, with the Vanguard Gallery, Co. Cork Drawing Exhibition, Lavit Gallery, Cork
Jim Kemmy Remembered, Limerick City Gallery of Art Group show, Daffodil Gallery, Skerries

1998 EV+A, Limerick, Curator Paul O’Reilly
Limericks, An exhibition of contemporary prints, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibereen, United Arts Club, Dublin, Dolmen Gallery, Limerick, Havanna, Cuba,(1998) Galerie Acud, Berlin Ar aon, Frostburg State University, USA

1997 3rd Wexford Artists’ Books Exhibition, Wexford, touring in Ireland Printed Matter, Triskel Arts centre, Cork

Dialog in Groen, Zutendaal, Belgium

AIB Art on tour, travelling Ireland.
1996 Objecten, Kunstenaarsboeken en Grafiek, Galerie Bredevoort, the Netherlands

International Print Show, Templebar, Dublin
2nd Wexford Artists’ Books Exhibition, Wexford, touring in Ireland and Wales Observatorium, 96, Bredevoort, The Netherlands

1995 EV+A, Limerick; Cork Printmakers, Crawford Gallery, Cork Prints, Triskal Arts Centre, Cork

Inaugural Exhibition, Danny’s, Rutland St. Limerick
Into Print, The Dolmen Gallery, Limerick
Iontas, small works exhibition, Sligo, Dublin, Belfast
First Annual Open Mini Print Exhibition, Chris Doswell’s, Limerick, Grond, Zutendaal, Althoeselt, Belgium

Grafiek op Groot Format, De Fabriek, The Netherlands Impressions, Galway
Irish Art, Central House of Artists, Moscow

1994 EV+A, Limerick
The Printed Image, University of Limerick, Limerick

Off Side, Hallward Gallery, Dublin 1993 Group Show, Grain Store, Galway

Art Fest, Cork
1992 On Tour, European touring exhibition, Sittard, the Netherlands, Zutendaal, Belgium

Deck The Halls, Riverrun, Limerick Group Show – Willow Gallery, Limerick Western Artists, Shannon, Co. Clare

1991 After The Siege, Riverrun Gallery, Limerick Western Artists, Galway, Dublin, Limerick

European Large Format Printmaking, Hop Store, Dublin Willow Gallery, Limerick
Deck The Halls, Riverrun Gallery, Limerick

1990 Landscape Urban/Rural, University of Limerick Oireachtas, Dublin

Dance Strokes, RHA Gallery, Dublin Western Artists, Galway
Art Forum, Limerick

1989 EV+A New Work of Past Winners 1984-1988, Limerick, Dublin, Sligo, Cork National Self-Portrait Collection, Limerick, Belfast, Dublin
Limerick Soviet Commemorative Show, Limerick
Belltable Print Collection, Limerick, Galway, Wexford

Western Artists, Galway Impressions II, Galway Fool’s Gold, Dublin, Galway

1988 Impressions I, Galway; Western Artists, Galway, Tralee Independent Artists Dublin

1987 Limerick Contemporary Art 1983-87 Independent Artists, Dublin

Oireachtas, Dublin
1986 Independent Artists, Dublin

Western Artists, Galway

Oireachtas, Dublin
1985 Independent Artists, Dublin, Limerick

with Jim Sheehy and Dietrich Blodau, Merriman Summer School, Lisdoonvarna, University

of Limerick
1984 Arnott’s National Portrait Award Exhibition (ANPA), Dublin

RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin 1983 Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick

1981 Grafica II, Galway

Belltable Arts Centre, Limerick 1980 Grafica I, Galway

RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
1979 Listowel International Graphic Exhibition

1978 Listowel International Graphic Bienalle 78’ EVA, Limerick

1977 Listowel Graphics III
Limerick Exhibition of Visual Art (EVA)

Collections

Awards

2016 Eli Lily Purchase Prize, ‘25’ Cork City Hall
2012 King and Piercy Mid-Career Award, Impressions 2012, Galway
2011 Fellow of the Ballinglen Arts Foundation
2004 First prize, Impressions open print exhibition Galway, curated by Mike Moon
2002 Michael Byrne Award for print, administered by the Arts Council
2001 Mary Farl Powers Printmaking Award, administered by the Arts Council
2000 Arts Council Bursary
2000 First Prize, Second Limerick Mini-Print Exhibition, curated by Paul O’Reilly
1993 European Commission Award – ‘Kaleidoscope’ to Art Network Europe
1990 Arts Council grant to travelling exhibition ‘Home Ground, Monoprints by David Lilburn’ 1984 Graphics prize, Limerick Exhibition of Visual Art, Selector Peter Fuller
1977 Setanta Gallery Award, Listowell III

Public Collections

L’ Associatiazione Nazonale Incisori Contemporanei, Italy. Allied Irish Banks
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork

Dublin Corporation
Dublin City Library and Archive
Guinness Ltd.
Faro Cabo Mayor Arts Centre, Spain
Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, California Limerick City Gallery of Art
Limerick City and County Council
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
National Collection of Artists’ Books, NCAD, Dublin
National Collection of Contemporary Drawing, LCGA
National Gallery of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, University of Limerick National University of Ireland, Cork
National University of Ireland, Galway
Office of Public Works
Palazzo della Penna, Perugia (Italy)
RTE
University of Limerick
Uzice City Gallery, Serbia
Wilson Library, North Carolina

2016

Commissions

Farther Away and Nearer Still

Commissioned by Larry Lambe for ‘1916 Ireland in Contemporary Art – Éire 1916 san Ealaín Chomhaimseartha’, A multi-disciplinary art exhibition in response to 1916 and the events of the past 100 years

Watermark

Drypoint print to mark the Twentieth Anniversary of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance Client: IWAMD

You are here

A site integrated sculptural installation in collaboration with architect Jan Frohburg. In Progress Client: Galway County Council

A Map, Léarscáil

A drawing inscribed in Irish Limestone
Main contractor: Irish Natural Stone Ltd. Client: Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. Architect: Hugh Kelly

In Medias Res

A suite of seven intaglio drypoint prints, Client: Office of Public Works, commissioned for ‘James Joyce and ULYSSES at the National Library of Ireland’, Dublin. Architect: Orna Hanley

Courthouse Maps

A triptych of drypoint prints.

Frieze

Fragments of the metal plates from the Courthouse maps, installed throughout the building. Client: Limerick County Council Architects: Murray O’laoire Architects.

For all my raking and undertaking my heart was breaking for sweet Omagh Town

Client: Omagh Business Forum, Department of Employment and Learning.
A large print in an edition of three mapping the town of Omagh post the bombing in1998.

Map for City Hall

An ‘artist’s map’ of Dublin incorporating personal, public, artistic, social, historical and topographical references. Commissioned as part of the major restoration of City Hall – A Millennium Project undertaken by the City of Dublin for a permanent exhibition – ‘The Story of the Capital’, designed by Orna Hanley Architects. Client: Dublin Corporation

Coastline

An ‘artist’s map’ of Ireland, in the form of a drypoint print and a digital frieze, in response to the major themes – history, culture, landscape – presented by the Irish Pavillion for the World Exposition, Expo 2000, Hanover, Germany. Client: Department of Foreign Affairs /OPW Architects: Murray O’Laoire Architects, Orna Hanley Architects

2014

2014 –

2010/11

2004

2002/03

1998

2000

Texts/Papers

Good Morning Mr. Turner

Article on Niall Naessens exhibition at the National Gallery at the 2018 Seasons’ annual display of the Turner Collection in the Irish Arts Review. Winter, 2017/2018
Putumayo
Article in the current edition of Irish Migration Studies in Latin America 9:1 2018 ‘Conscience as Compass: Creative Encounters between Ireland and Latin America’.

Making Metal Sing

David Lilburn interviews Jane Murtagh about ‘ A Journey with Metal: Contemporary Work’, Visual Artists Ireland, July 2015
Walking Drawing making Memory, A Ballynahinch Sketchbook, by David Lilburn, Published by Occasional Press. 2009

“Tales of Four Cities, Moscow – Warsaw – Berlin – Dublin”, David Lilburn and Joachim Fischer, Kontact, Impact Conference Berlin, 2005

Membership

Board Member of the National Self Portrait Collection Limerick Printmakers
Cork Printmakers

Teaching

1980-3 Lecturer, Limerick School of Art and Design 1983- Occasionl Visiting lecturer to

Limerick School of Art and Design, National College of Art and Design, Crawford College of Art
Galway Art School, GMIT

Design

1977-79 CIDC Eindhoven 1983-2016 University of Limerick

Publishing

Hot-Bed Press, established with Mike Byrne

2001 Milenium Box Set, prints by 38 artists, in a limited edition of 50

Occasional Press established with Jim Savage 2004

2004 Drawing Texts, edited by Jim Savage
2005 Berger on Drawing by John Berger, edted by Jim Savage
2006 Being There an introduction to the work of Joe Wilson In Connemara by Mick O’Dea

2014 The Celtic Zoo, by Tom FitzGerald and Theo Dorgan 2014 Flying Skirts, by John and Yves Berger
2016 John by Jean: Fifty Years of Friendship, by Jean Mohr

Occasional Press in collaboration with Ballynahinch Castle 2007 Ballynahinch Postcards, by Peter Fallon

2006 An Afterglow: A Gallery of Connemara Poems, edited by Des Lally and Peter Fallon

2010 The Idea of Islands, By Sue Hubbard and Donald Teskey
2009 Walking Drawing making Memory, A Ballynahinch Sketchbook, by David Lilburn,

2012 Montenotte and Fountainstown by Dorothy Cross
2013 Pony by Tony Curtis and David Lilburn

2011 A Connemara Folio by Donald Teskey
2014 Into the Mountains by Joe Wilson and Colm Toibin
2017 In Connemara by Mick O’Dea
2019 This Flight Tonight by Tony Curtis, Illustrated by David Lilburn