Pauline Bewick
Pauline Bewick was born in Northumbria, England though raised mainly in Kerry. She attended the National College of Art and Design, Dublin in 1950. Her artworks from this time depict stylised paintings around the subject of student life in Dublin. She was commissioned as an illustrator to BBC in London but from 1970s found her home was the countryside and from this time her images became more concerned with the female experience of life. In her works woman is depicted in various situations: naked, alone, with child, resting or reading and often outdoors suggesting a close relationship with nature. In her paintings, womanhood, motherhood and the natural world freely merge and create a harmony in being. Her work has a strong stylised element that she has carried through from her early career. The decorative element is as important as the subject itself. Her work recalls the style of Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), thanks to her time spent in the Pacific, a shared interest of the two artists.
James White says of her work in his book, Pauline Bewick: Painting a Life, 1985 that she has ‘…a way of seeing. She portrays everything in terms of the flow of water, the sweep of wind, the growth of trees, the pattern of nature. What fascinates her is sensuality. She is a person who runs out naked into the air to celebrate the joys of life, the beauty of nature.’.
In 2006 Bewick donated 600 examples of her work to the Irish state including tapestries, wall hangings, watercolours and sketches. She is a member of Aosdána and Royal Academy of Art.
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James White says of her work in his book, Pauline Bewick: Painting a Life, 1985 that she has ‘…a way of seeing. She portrays everything in terms of the flow of water, the sweep of wind, the growth of trees, the pattern of nature. What fascinates her is sensuality. She is a person who runs out naked into the air to celebrate the joys of life, the beauty of nature.’.
In 2006 Bewick donated 600 examples of her work to the Irish state including tapestries, wall hangings, watercolours and sketches. She is a member of Aosdána and Royal Academy of Art.
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