Peter Burns’ paintings address the lost soul, the lone wayfarer, and the anti-hero. The solitary struggle to comprehend the world that looms over us, overpowers us and seals our fate to be ever a stranger in a stranger land. He combines classical, biblical and 20th century sci-fi to present storylines that are at once familiar and unsettling. His protagonists eschew the bodily ideals of much of art history’s statuesque depiction and owe more to Robert Crumb and the spirit of Charlie Chaplin – they are anti-heroes caught up in the epic and awesome myths and legends of Western tradition.
BIOPeter Burns presented new paintings and sculptures with Gibbons & Nicholas at Art Projects, LAF 2018 and Context NYC & Miami (2017). He participated in Fables of the Reconstruction at David & Schweitzer Contemporary, NY (2017).
Other recent exhibitions include, Futures Anthology at The Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin (2015), Self Portraits at BravinLee Programs, NY, (2016) Works on Paper at Exhibition A, NY, (2016) coinciding with the release of a limited edition print. Past solo exhibitions were held at Fenderesky Gallery Belfast, Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin and Claremorris Gallery. Selected group exhibitions include Last, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Making Familiar, Temple Bar Gallery and None went Mad, None Ran Away, Rubicon Gallery. Burns has been featured in Wall Street International Magazine, The Sunday Times and ArtForum among others. He is a recent recipient of the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant. He earned his BA in Sculpture and MFA in Painting from The National College of Art & Design, Dublin. He lives and works in Co. Mayo, Ireland.