Fion Gunn

Diaspora Irish artist Fion Gunn delves into the human experience in her work. With a portfolio that ranges from mixed media painting to sculpture and installation, her art is a vast exploration of existence across time, subject and medium. Fion incorporates landscapes, urban motifs, figures and surrealist elements into her work, and in doing so, the artist weaves continuous narratives that comment on the many aspects of the human condition. Looking at the past and to the future, Fion seeks to create inclusive and far-reaching art that resonates with people from all walks of life.

Fion Gunn's Education and Career

Fion grew up in Ireland and studied at Crawford College of Art & Design before moving to France to spend a post-graduate year at École des Beaux-Arts Supérieure de Nancy. She remained in France for four years, exhibiting regularly. Fion now lives in London but showcases her paintings globally. Fion was the first Irish artist to have a public art commission in China for the city of Zhangjiakou and the first Artist in Residence at the Institute of Irish Studies, Liverpool. She has had residencies at Tate Exchange Liverpool, Museum of Childhood Ireland, Baltic Art Center, Poland, and Redgate Gallery, Beijing.

Recent Work

In 2022, Fion's solo show Arrivals/Departures was held at the Victoria Gallery & Museum, Liverpool, for five months, with an award from Arts Council England. The exhibition included an immersive installation and increased Gallery footfall by over 27% from the preceding show. The University of Liverpool produced an Arrivals/Departures app with AR popups of her 3D work - free to download from Google and App stores. Fion was a guest artist at the Beijing International Art Biennale in 2022 and had a retrospective solo show at Candid Arts Trust, London, in 2019. Her solo shows have showcased an extensive collection of her ongoing portfolio and have reflected just how multi-faceted her practice is. Combining seascapes and cityscapes, the rural and the urban, the figurative and the imagined, Fion continues to explore diverse interrelated themes, including migration, climate change, feminism, and the relationship between the micro and macro-historical narratives.

Fion has had three other awards from Arts Council England for her projects during 2019 - 2022.