Brendon Deacy's paintings, prints, drawings and photographs are inspired by the human effects of culture, history and politics, and have been exhibited in nineteen solo shows. His work is held in notable public and private collections in Australia, Europe, the UK and the USA.
He has received numerous awards, including Culture Ireland's 'Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme' Award, 'The Laois 2016 Community Commemoration' Award and 'The Thomas Dammann Trust Prize'. In 1999 he represented Ireland at the international print exhibition 'Linoleum in 20th Century Art' in Amsterdam. He has published two critically acclaimed 'artist's books': 'The State We're Out' which recounts the story of his father's emigration from Ireland in 1951; and 'A Life in Relief' which tells the remarkable story of Michael Davitt, one of the foremost Irish figures of the Nineteenth Century.
His commissioned work, viewable on the COMMISSIONS page, has dealt with art, commerce, education, TV and publishing in print, on screen and in the public realm.
Published articles, written by distinguished commentators, that accompany the work can be read on the ARTICLES page.
recent work
Passport design for Burning Man
Honoured to be invited to create Black Rock City (BRC) passport artwork for Burning Man 2023.
Inspired by the 2023 pavilion, the hive in the logo is designed with ten hexagons which symbolise the ten principles of the Burning Man experience. Centrally aligned below the man are BRC’s geographical coordinates, the idea being that if you get to those coordinates you’ll actually be where the man is! A limited edition of 200 glowed in the dark inspired by the way that Black Rock City gloriously lights up the Nevada desert night sky for a limited time every year.
Burning Man passport pages
Spreads from the passport which I designed for Burning Man 2023 featuring the brilliant art installations photographed so beautifully by @powpowcacao @redpilotphotography & @ml_docphotography The bottom pages show stamps/visas collected from visits to participating camps.
The 5km Drawings are a series of images made within the five kilometre travel restriction of home during lock down. The different phases of the pandemic are metaphorically represented through these landscape studies. ‘Dark Clouds Gathering’ symbolises the ominous upheaval that was brewing with the virus. ‘Contagion’ was inspired by a huge murder of crows witnessed one twilight that bore a strong resemblance to the animated Covid graphic which appeared on TV news bulletins throughout the crisis. ‘Out of the Darkness’ was created at daybreak after the vaccine had been announced which ushered in a new optimistic dawn.
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Cáin Adomnáin
A video-mapped projection commission for Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival. It tells the story of the ‘Cáin Adomnáin’, one of the first ever laws to address human rights by protecting women and children, enacted in Birr in AD697. This project was made possible by @lvdfilms and the twenty wonderful people who took part in it. Click on the arrow to see the original video with inserted footage from it being projected onto St Brendan’s ruined church in Birr during lockdown when alternatives to showing work in galleries had to be explored, run time 07:33.
síorai exhibition and film trailers
Síoraí is an exhibition of contemporary paintings commissioned by Laois County Council, inspired by the words of James Fintan Lalor (1807–1849) who dedicated his life to lobbying on behalf of those who were too downtrodden to speak for themselves and had a profound effect on Irish political developments. With austerity, homelessness and mass emigration still prevalent today, these works which have been shown in Ireland and Australia put the spotlight on over 160 years of Government and ask the stinging question: has anything changed?
Síoraí exhibition and film trailer, run time 01:38
"It was my absolute pleasure to work with Brendon over the months leading up to the exhibition, to lend administration and marketing support. The exhibition was a thorough success with large numbers attending, positive visitor feedback and healthy sales."
Michelle de Forge, Director, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise.
Síoraí Australian exhibition trailer, run time 01:49
"Brendon is a very savvy artist who shows great intelligence and perception. He is a fine ambassador for Irish culture. His manner is polite and business like and I for one am very proud that he was enabled to bring this fine exhibition to a wider global audience."
Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer, Laois County Council.