ABOUT
Andy Mac Manus is an Irish artist working and living in London for almost 15 years. Although he initially studied fine art in Galway, he went on to study interior design, multimedia and finally graduated with a master’s degree in graphic design from the London College of Communication in 2011.
Over the years Andy has exhibited extensively across Ireland, in the UK and as far afield as Shanghai. After taking quite a long hiatus from making work while concentrating on design, the pandemic gave him a fortuitous opportunity to slow down and take stock, and he rediscovered his passion for making art. When a brief landed on his desk that required some packaging design, this gave him the opportunity to flesh out the sketches he had already been developing, and this collaboration led to the creation of several small canvases. This project was the genesis of the work he creates today.
While his work over the years has incorporated everything from paint, photography, screen printing, spray paint, film, and sculptural installations, he now works predominately with acrylic paint on canvas. Andy comes to art from a graphic design background, and the intersection of these two very different worlds continues to influence his work today. His vibrant, diverse, and daily creative practice takes in painting and graphic design.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Through both contemporary and traditional techniques, including digital and analogue collage, cut-outs and mark making, Andy explores shape and form to produce intuitive abstract designs and illustrations that are then painted onto canvas. Positive and negative space, colour theory and composition are also integral to the work. Process is the key, and Andy uses block colour, pattern and in some cases fragmentation to reach a final outcome.
Inspiration comes from the everyday environment, with this current flourish of work inspired by the patterns of a London tube journey. Music, however, is always on in Andy’s studio, with the artist’s love of nature and his graphic design background offering key reference points. The work also draws influence from art movements such as Geometric Abstraction, Minimalism, Hard Edge and Colour Field painting.
"interactions of colour, shape, texture and form"
OXO
Outset Gallery, Galway, Ireland
November 2024 - January 2025
Rejects by Art Friend
Stokey Popup, London, UK
July 2024
Warchild presents Secret 7s
Now Gallery, London, UK
March 2024
Winter Group Show
Folkestone Art Gallery, UK
December 2023
SOTA Exhibition
Stratford, London, UK
October 2023
The Other Art Fair
Kings Cross, London, UK
June 2023
Cúige Arts Festival
Dominick Street, Mullingar, Ireland.
June 2022
Print Swap
The Print Space, London, UK
October 2017
Word
Little Green Street Gallery, Dublin, Ireland.
August 2012
Graduate Show Design Show
London College of Communication, London, UK.
December 2011
True Colours
The Rag Factory, London, UK.
December 2010
Is Mise Ireland
Shanghai/Beijing, China.
March - June, 2008
Arthaus
Galway, Ireland.
March 2008
Art Horrific
Multi Venue Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland.
October 2007
Trespass
Ennis, Ireland.
September 2007
Ignition
The Arts Centre, Mullingar, Ireland.
November 2006
Biannual Graduate Art Show
The Arts Centre, Mullingar, Ireland.
September 2006
Diversions
Former Ritz Cinema, Mullingar, Ireland.
September 2005
An Show
Dean Crowe Gallery, Athlone, Ireland.
March 2005