Biography
THE ARTIST
Graham studied fine art in The Hague, Art and Design in Kilmainham, Dublin and Postgraduate Foundation in Art Therapy at The Crawford College of Art, Cork, the latter leading to her work with marginalised groups.
She works mostly in oils, appreciating the jewel-like translucency the medium imparts to colour, and has made three major stained-glass windows that translate the same quality to that traditional discipline in its purest form.
Graham first exhibited at the Hadleigh Gallery, Suffolk, England in 1986. She has since had many successful solo exhibitions, showing with Origin Gallery Dublin for over 15 years, and Cill Rialaig Arts Centre at Ballinskelligs, Co Kerry, where her long association with the Cill Rialaig International Arts Project and her love of the Atlantic seaboard inspired and influenced her work.
Graham’s work has been acquired by several public collections including
- The Office of Public Works, Ireland
- The Legal Aid Board, Ireland
- Interpol’s Sirene Centre
- INTO Art Collection, Dublin
- University of Missouri, Curators Fund
along with major corporate collections and private collectors in over 13 countries.
Commissions include the BreastCheck Clinic, St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin.
Graham’s work has hung in the Presidents State Rooms at Áras an Uachtaráin, and can be seen in the King’s House, Boyle, County Roscommon, and Government Buildings, Dublin.
Work has also been included in The Iveragh Peninsula, Atlas of the Great Irish Famine, and Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape published by Cork University Press.
Following the success and acclaim for her Origin shows, Graham’s work gained international recognition and attracted extensive media coverage. RTÉ filmed a documentary on Graham’s life and work, shown on RTÉ ONE, national television. Described as one of Ireland’s most renowned, vibrant and passionate artists, she has been profiled widely in the national press, and has appeared on the Late Late Show, where she gave a frank account of her unusual life in the context of work that was shown in the studio.
Ongoing battles with health have limited Graham’s work in recent years.
