Michael Cullen was born in Kilcool, Co. Wicklow in 1946. He studied art at the Central School of Art and Design, London in 1969 and the National College of Art and Design, Dublin from 1970 to 1973 before moving abroad for several years. Cullen’s work has an underlying autobiographical aspect that sees him referring both himself and his work to such masters as Velasquez and Picasso. With his multicoloured carnival palette, Cullen’s paintings and prints reveal the influence of time spent in Mexico, Spain and Morocco that adds a festive air to proceedings. The profusion of bright, clean colour is emphasised by accents of brilliant white, and Cullen’s work often includes imagery of cowboys, still lives, bullfighters and infantas.
Michael Cullen was awarded the Independent Artists’ Major Painting Award in 1984 and the National Portrait Award in 1989. He has been the recipient of several Arts Council bursaries is also an elected member of Aosdána. Cullen has shown his work extensively throughout Ireland, with solo exhibitions at the Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast; Cavanacor Gallery, Donegal; Vangard Gallery, Cork; and Triskel Arts Centre, Cork; as well as Temple Bar Gallery, the Graphic Gallery and Project Arts Centre, Dublin. Cullen’s work is included in private collections throughout the country and is also represented in the public collections of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Dundee Contemporary Arts Society, Scotland, amongst others.
Exhibitions with Taylor Galleries:2007 Mappa Mundi
2004 Through The Looking Glass
2001 Paintings for E
1997 Love Stories: An Exhibition in Three Parts