Gilly Cullen

Biography

Gilly Cullen is a fine artist from Meath, specialising in detailed pencil drawings. She draws inspiration from all elements of nature. This love of nature is a recurrent theme in her work, being influenced by her respect for the natural environment and through her scientific background as a graduate of Trinity College, in Environmental Science.

As a full-time illustrator and fine artist, the common thread that unites her work is a desire to capture the essence of the subject matter; to enhance some intangible, ephemeral quality that may not be always be noticed. For Gilly, detail is everything. She hones in on particular elements, whether it be a subjects hair, or the petal of a flower, and map out their intricacies. She invites the viewer to look deeply at the little details that exist all around us, and to take a moment to appreciate their beauty.

Gilly has taken part in numerous exhibitions, including the annual exhibitions in the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Royal Ulster Academy. In 2016 she was awarded the Prize for Drawing and the Rowel Friers prize, by the RUA. In 2018 she was shortlisted for the Zurich Portrait Prize, and her work displayed in the National Gallery, Dublin. Her drawings are included in many private and public collections.