Jackie Edwards

Born in London to Irish parents, Jackie Edwards is now based in Southern Ireland. She has been painting since childhood and attended Dun Laoghaire School of Art and Design, and has exhibited in Ireland, England, Scotland, Amsterdam, Brussels and Berlin, and is collected worldwide, including the Irish State Collection (OPW). Edwards was awarded the prize for the best Portrait at the Royal Hibernian Academy and in 2015 was awarded two prizes in the Royal Ulster Academy annual exhibition, wining the drawing prize (sponsored by Bradbury Art) and the Rowel Friers Perpetual Trophy. Edwards also won the residency for the Winter 2015 at 360 Xochi Quetzal located in Central Mexico. 

Edwards paintings focus on the human figurative form, studying the character and changes found within the body. She has a dedicated process, spending months to years perfecting the details and stories of each painting. For instance, it took four years to develop her exhibition ‘To Catch a Hummingbird’; which was the result of her month long artist residency in Lake Chapala, Mexico. 

Her passion lies within the beautiful technique of old masters. Painting on linen or wooden panel, Edwards delicately layers translucent semi-opaque oil glazes over an opaque monochromatic under-painting, in either oil or egg tempera. This technique results in an illuminating quality to the finished piece that could not be achieved through any other means. Edwards continuously strives to improve on this classical method of painting.

Edwards is also deeply committed to the medium of charcoal, finding great freedom of expression with the figurative form. This can be seen in the pieces in “Noir”, her on-going series in which she attempts to project her raw emotions from “Deep within – my soul works”.