Artist Details

Tony O'Malley

Portfolio

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(1913 – 2003)

Tony O’Malley is regarded as one of the leading Irish painters of modern times. A native of Callan, County Kilkenny, he worked as a bank official but became more involved in painting while recovering from TB in the 40s. He finally left the bank to paint full-time in 1958.

O’Malley was part of the artistic community in St Ives from 1960. A spell in the Bahamas in the 70s is seen as introducing a more colourful palette. He returned to Ireland in 1990 and was elected Saoi of the artists’ body Aosdana in 1993.

There was a major retrospective of his work in the Irish Museum of Modern Art in 2005.

‘Fish Baits’, from 1986, is lively and colourful.