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Genieve Figgis

Genieve Figgis (b. 1972) is an Irish contemporary painter known for her distinctive figurative paintings that combine dark humor, macabre imagery, and references to art history. Her work evokes the dramatic atmospheres of literary traditions associated with Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde, while also engaging with the visual legacy of Old Masters such as Francisco Goya. Working primarily in acrylic on small to medium-scale canvases, Figgis creates theatrical scenes characterized by fluid brushwork, vibrant color, and unsettling narratives. Her paintings have been described by Roberta Smith of The New York Times as “nastily entertaining pieces of work,” highlighting the artist’s ability to blend satire, elegance, and grotesque visual storytelling.

Figgis’s artistic practice explores themes of luxury, leisure, and aristocratic life often represented throughout European art history. Her paintings frequently depict lavish domestic interiors, grand country houses, and idyllic landscapes populated by elegantly dressed figures engaged in activities such as feasting, horseback riding, playing the piano, or attending social gatherings. Despite their opulent settings, these scenes reveal a darker and more subversive undertone. Figgis’s characters often appear faceless, distorted, or transformed into eerie, grinning, ghost-like figures whose loosely rendered forms seem fragile and unstable. Painted with expressive, dissolving brushstrokes, these figures appear to merge with their richly colored, semi-abstract surroundings, creating a tension between beauty and grotesque. Through this distinctive visual language, Figgis critiques the romanticized ideals of privilege, refinement, and social status that have long shaped representations of wealth and power in Western art.

Genieve Figgis studied at Gorey School of Art and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Her work has gained significant international recognition and has been exhibited widely in museums and institutions across Europe, the United States, and Asia. Recent solo exhibitions include ‘Drama Party’ at M WOODS, Beijing, China (2023); ‘L'Almanach 18 : Genieve Figgis’ at Consortium Museum, Dijon, France (2018); and ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at Gallery Met at the Met Opera in New York, NY, US (2017). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including ‘Songs to the Siren’ at The Model in Sligo, Ireland (2026); ‘All Flowers in Time Bend Towards the Sun’ at Dublin Castle, Ireland (2025); ‘The Echo of Picasso’ at Museo Picasso Málaga, Spain (2023); and ‘Desire’ at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland (2020).

Her work is held in several important public and private collections worldwide, including the Bass Museum of Art, Miami, FL, US; Pérez Art Museum, Miami, FL, US; X Museum, Beijing, China; and the Arts Council of Ireland. The artist currently lives and works in County Wicklow, Ireland.

  • Biography

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  • Bibliography

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Selected artworks

  • Genieve Figgis, Picnic, 2020

    Genieve Figgis Picnic, 2020

    Acrylic on canvas
    60 x 60 x 2 cm
    23 5/8 x 23 5/8 x 3/4 in

  • Genieve Figgis, Victorian people, 2020

    Genieve Figgis Victorian people, 2020

    Acrylic on canvas
    120 x 100 x 2 cm
    47 1/4 x 39 3/8 x 3/4 in

  • Genieve Figgis, Ladies in the forest (after Franz-Xavier Winterhalter), 2021

    Genieve Figgis Ladies in the forest (after Franz-Xavier Winterhalter), 2021

    Acrylic on canvas
    80 x 100 x 2 cm
    31 1/2 x 39 3/8 x 3/4 in

  • Genieve Figgis, Trip to Egypt, 2021

    Genieve Figgis Trip to Egypt, 2021

    Acrylic on canvas
    100 x 150 x 2 cm
    39 3/8 x 59 1/8 x 3/4 in

  • Genieve Figgis, Family outdoors, 2021

    Genieve Figgis Family outdoors, 2021

    Acrylic on canvas
    100 x 120 x 2 cm
    39 3/8 x 47 1/4 x 3/4 in

Gallery exhibitions

Museum exhibitions

Selected press

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