William McKeown

William McKeown was a Northern Irish painter, watercolorist, and draughtsman known for his attention to detail in his works. 

Biography of William McKeown

William McKeown was born in 1962 in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He was raised on a farm, and this place continued to inspire him throughout his artistic journey.

From 1980 to 1981, he studied Art History at University College London. McKeown pursued further education at Central St Martin's School of Art & Design (1981-1984), where he specialized in Textile Design. In 1987, he graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland with an MA in Design. Later, he received an MA in Fine Art from the University of Ulster, Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he studied from 1993 to 1994.

McKeown worked at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, demonstrating weaving techniques. Later, in 1988, he relocated to Dublin and contributed to the Kerlin Gallery's efforts until 1991. This gallery hosted McKeown's inaugural solo exhibition in 1996.

In 2001, McKeown gained recognition for his involvement in the Sirius Project in Co. Cork, earning an award. The following year, he received the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Award.

In 2005, the artist represented Northern Ireland at the 51st Venice Biennale in the exhibition titled "The Nature of Things."

William McKeown died on October 25, 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

William McKeown's Art Style

The artist created paintings, drawings, prints, and installations. These creations encapsulated the expansiveness and life-enhancing power of nature. Driven by a conviction in the paramount importance of feeling, McKeown's paintings assumed the appearance of objective minimalism and monochromatic expression. They offered a deeper layer, depicting nature as something real, tangible, and capable of being touched and felt.

Every painting intentionally deviates slightly from a perfect square, challenging the rigidity of geometry. They are roughly proportioned to the dimensions of the human chest, mirroring the lungs' capacity to breathe air. Presented in 'room installations,' wooden structures with wallpaper, windows, and artificial light, these pieces serve as windows that gaze outward into the world—a means of transcending the confines and monotony of daily life. Instead, they transport viewers into the lightness and expansiveness of the sky. This effect is achieved through delicate shifts in tone that give rise to moments of exquisite beauty and sheer euphoria.

McKeown's artistic endeavors bore connections to specific facets of minimalist, post-minimalist, post-painterly, and conceptual art. Through his luminous artworks, he delved into the exploration of emotional states, such as happiness and freedom, as well as the inherent qualities of nature, including light, air, and sky. In addition, he crafted small, realistic colored pencil drawings depicting the wildflowers native to his home county—primroses, snowdrops, buttercups—always juxtaposed against a stark, blank backdrop.