Francis Matthews
Born in 1980 in Dublin, Ireland, where he currently lives and works. Francis has been painting full time since 2005. He is represented by the Molesworth Gallery in Dublin.
Education
1998-2004 University College Dublin. Graduated with a First Class Honours in Architecture.
Awards
2014 RUA perpetual Silver Medal Award.
2013 RUA KPMG Young Artist Award.
2011 Hennessy Craig Scholarship joint winner, RHA Annual Exhibition.
2009 James adams salesroom award, RHA Annual Exhibition. RHA studio residency.
2008 Cill Rialaig Residency.
2007 ESB Keating McLoughlin award, RHA Annual Exhibition. Hennessy Craig Scholarship Runner Up, RHA Annual Exhibition.
2006 John DeVere’s first time exhibitors award, RHA Annual Exhibition. Naughton award, RHA Annual Exhibition.
Solo shows
2026 ‘Ext/Int’ Molesworth Gallery, Dublin
2024 ‘Int/Ext’ Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.
2022 ‘Recent Paintings’ Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.
2020 ‘Figure and Void’ Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.
2018 Solo exhibition Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.
2016 ‘Six Streets’ Molesworth Gallery, Dublin.
2009 ‘Ten’ Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin.
2008 ’46 South Richmond St’ Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Dublin.
2007 ‘Halation’ Cherrylane Fine Arts, Wicklow.
Selected Group shows
2025 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2024 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2023 RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2022 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2021 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2020 RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2019 ‘Penumbra’ two person show, Molesworth Gallery, Dublin. RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin. RUA Annual Exhibition, Belfast.
2018 EVA 18, Limerick. Additions to National Self Portrait Collection, UL, Limerick. RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2017 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin.
2016 RUA Annual Exhibition, Belfast. RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin. CASe ’16 Lavit Gallery, Cork.
2015 RHA Summer Exhibition, Dublin. Darcspace Gallery group Exhibition, Dublin.
2014 RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. RUA Annual Exhibition, Belfast. Describing Architecture 2014 ‘Memory and Place’, City Assembly House, Dublin.
2013 RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. RUA Annual Exhibition, Belfast. Describing Architecture 2013 ‘Work in Process’, City Assembly House, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2012 RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. Describing Architecture 2012 ‘Scale+Medium’, No. 13 North Great George’s St, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2011 RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. Arte Laguna, Venice, Italy. Describing Architecture 2011, No 4. Capel st, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2010 EV+A, Limerick. Lavit Gallery, Cork. RA Summer Exhibition, London. RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. Describing Architecture 2010, The Ormond Building, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2009 RHA Annual Exhibition. Boyle Arts festival, Roscommon. Studio exhibition-69 Dame st studios, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2008 RHA Annual Exhibition. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow. Festival of Masters, Orlando, U.S.
2007 RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. RUA Annual Show, Belfast. RHA Banquet Exhibition, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2006 RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin. John DeVere’s IYF Charity Auction, London. RHA Banquet Exhibition, Dublin. Cherrylane Fine Arts Summer/Winter Exhibitions, Wicklow.
2005 Blue Leaf Gallery Show in aide of AWARE, Dublin. Oisin Gallery, Dublin.
Statement
Francis Matthews creates precise, atmospheric paintings that explore the spatial and luminous qualities of a place, composed and executed to refer to ideas of perception, architecture and the representation of space.
The paintings depict real locations he has come across and photographed and fictional interior spaces which he models and then photographs. The images are absent of people; the surrounding environment becomes the focus and the viewer becomes the inhabitant. The images are generally of mundane places.
When photographing the city Francis will change his position and framing and return to the same location multiple times to explore how the light/weather effects the image. When photographing the scale model, the point of view remains the same and Francis will change the materials, spatial dimensions and lighting. In both cases Francis is looking for an intuitive response to the image.
The finished paintings suggest narrative and metaphorical readings, encourage the viewer to closely examine the depicted environment, as well as the painting of them, and linger in an atmosphere straddling calm solitude and potential jeopardy.
