Stephen McKenna

Stephen McKenna was an esteemed painter and draughtsman.

Biography of Stephen McKenna

Stephen McKenna was born in 1939 in London. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London from 1959 to 1964. 

During his career, he held various positions. From 1965 to 1967, he was a Senior Lecturer in Painting at Canterbury College of Art. He also worked as a Guest Professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst in Braunschweig (1995–96).

In 2001, McKenna was appointed an Associate Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Later, in 2002, he became a member of the same institution. Three years later, in 2005, he obtained the position of President of the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin.

The artist died in 2017, leaving behind works that continue to inspire younger generations of artists. Since his death, his work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Recent solo exhibitions include "the sixties" at Kerlin Gallery in Dublin (2022), "Cassiopeia" at Glebe Gallery in Donegal (2022), and "A Painter's Life: Stephen McKenna (1939 – 2017)" at VISUAL in Carlow (2019).

Additionally, Stephen McKenna's works have been featured in numerous group shows, including "Ghosts from the Recent Past" at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (2022), "last day of May" (with Elizabeth Magill & Merlin James) at Kerlin Gallery in Dublin (2019), "Landscapes of the Mind" at  Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City (2015), and many more. 

Stephen McKenna's Art Style

A skilled painter and draughtsman across a wide range of pictorial genres, Stephen McKenna interpreted modernity through the lens of classicism. He utilized formal elements such as shape, structure, and light to seek the abstract and indeterminate within the physical world. His paintings often impose geometric clarity onto diverse subjects, including cityscapes, still life, and mythological scenes. Influenced by early 20th-century metaphysical painting, McKenna's works hint at an intangible, spiritual realm beneath the surface.

His serene compositions are often enlivened by eccentric birds, animals, or animated figures, adding a dynamic element to domestic interiors, landscapes, and seascapes. McKenna's use of atmospheric conditions like light, air, space, and water invigorates his subjects, creating a sense of depth and movement. His approach reflects a deep engagement with the classical European tradition as well as contemporary developments in Modern and Postmodern painting, resulting in a distinctive and idiosyncratic body of work that continues to captivate viewers.