Ruth Killoran - Painter and Sculptor
Born and educated in inner city Liverpool. Ruth found art absorbing from an early age. She went to Liverpool Art College for 2 years, experimenting with different art forms and for 3 years studied at Teesside University, gaining an Honours degree in 3 dimensional design.This led to a successful career as a commercial interior designer, working in and around London.
Ruth came to live in New Zealand in 2006. A year later she discovered the joy of carving stone and decided to have a complete career change. She works as a full time artist from her home studio in Christchurch.
Carving stone has ignited a passion for painting. Her style of painting has developed since creating sculptures and both art forms feed off each other. When carving, Ruth likes direct contact with the stone, carving intuitively by hand, being led by the form and features that are unique to the material. Her paintings are treated in a similar way, following the flow of paint, allowing images to appear, and weaving light through her work.
Her inspirations come from observing natural forms such as pebbles, bones, shells and rock formations. “Each shape is different and I am constantly finding new shapes that I want to include in my work”.
Ruth is an award winning artist for both her sculpture and painting and is gaining a reputation for creating distinctive, original work. Both her sculptures and paintings are displayed in private collections in New Zealand and abroad. |
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2006 |
Emigrated to New Zealand |
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2007 |
Started to carve New Zealand stone |
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2009 |
Finalist in the COCA – Anthony Harper Contemporary Art Award Christchurch
Participant at The Oamaru Stone Symposium |
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2010 |
6th Annual Art Exhibition at The Nut Point Gallery – West Melton |
| 2011 |
Exhibition with ‘Arts Canterbury’ – Oxford |
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"Ruth Killoran is a fluidly energetic artist whose geomorphic oamaru stone sculptures command attention. The smoothly textured stone is shaped into seamlessly curvaceous forms which belie their own weight – an intrinsically difficult task to achieve. With such creative force applied to stone, the fact that Killoran’s painted works are so deceptive and intriguing should be no surprise. Interesting watercolour and ink patterns merge into hypnotic birds, while fluid ink sketches organically morph into themselves – illusion and continuous visual deception employed by the artist to stimulate and challenge the viewer. Ruth Killoran is an artist of the calibre we hope always to be able to support: professional, polished, interesting and just a little bit challenging…" Kirsty Peel (the new Malvern Community Arts Council Chairperson)
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| "...nothing we ever touch and feel, or see and love, is ever lost to us. From birth to old age it is retained like the warmth of rocks, the coolness of grass and the everflow of the sea." |