Brian Whelan |
| Selected Paintings |
| About Brian Whelan and Studio Suffolk |
| Read what Art Critic Sister Wendy Beckett says about ‘The Martyrdom of St. Edmund’ |
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| “Looking at a Whelan painting is like looking at a stained glass window, through the eyes of Bart Simpson.” Writer and critic Steven Martin |
| For U.K. and International sales of paintings and books, for general information and to contact Brian Whelan e-mail Roseberry Crest at wendyroseberry@msn.com |
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About Brian Whelan and Studio Suffolk
Brian Whelan lives with his partner, Wendy Roseberry, in the quiet village of Denham on England’s Norfolk/Suffolk border. Since his training at the Royal Academy of Art, he has lived and worked in the Suffolk area for over 20 years.
Brian’s work often draws from his London-Irish origins and themes related to the church and the pub. His reputation, (one of the few artists who thrives on religious themes), has been built on the patronage of both the Catholic and Anglican Church and on reviews in The Tablet (Sister Wendy’s Beckett’s Favourite: article 27th Aug 2005) and The Times.
The nearby St. Edmundsbury Cathedral (‘Mother Church of Suffolk’) in Bury St. Edmunds purchased Brian’s The Martyrdom of St. Edmund for permanent installation. His paintings are on display, and in private collections, in Britain, Ireland, Poland, Canada, the US, Uganda, Botswana, Spain and Italy.
Whilst Whelan’s work has been accepted by religious bodies there is nothing pious or restrained about his work. The church may be his first choice of venue but his second is the pub. Humour is often his anchor. An exhibition entitled “The Church Pub” held in Aldeburgh, Suffolk was sponsored by Blue Nun wine and St. Peters Brewery. Brother John Hegarty, monk of the Order of St. Gabriel said Whelan had “found a new door into the sacred.”
At the invitation of London Mayor Ken Livingstone, March 2007 saw the launch at London City Hall, of the book Myth of Return. Concurrently and on the other side of the world, Culture Ireland exhibited Whelan's work in a show entitled "Through Irish Eyes" in Beijing.
Highlights of 2008 include an installation entitled Salvation – Damnation at St. Martin’s School of Art and 16 new works of art at the Salthouse Exhibition on the beautiful Norfolk coast. This coming year of 2009 will be dedicated to an international tour (UK, Spain and Ireland) of Whelan’s work within the London-Irish context juxtaposed against the Celtic heritage. Whelan’s work can be seen regularly at Crome Gallery on Elm Hill in Norwich.
Read a summary of Brian's education and work, including exhibitions.
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