Artists & Illustrators — June 2017

70 Artists & Illustrators

T

he box in Diarmuid Kelley’s studio appears to

hold a story on the cusp of being told; in reality,

it’s simply where portrait sitters spend hours,

posed, listening to Radio 4. The London-based

artist is quick to mention the self-built, three-walled

structure that dominates his West London studio, laughing

at its “shambolic” nature and promising it won’t fall over.

The improvised set-up controls the light on his subject

while allowing his easel to sit, unlike his models, in daylight.

Inspired by the chiaroscuro effect of Italian master

Caravaggio, Diarmuid plays with his makeshift construction

to allow light to flood in from the skylights at varying angles.

As his portraits can take months to complete, he tapes

marks to the floor to position his easel and foot, and paints

in props and objects when sitters are absent.

Currently decked out with a rug and bedstead, this

adaptable space feels like a Wendy house, complete with a

four-paned window, which – attracted by the peeling and

worn texture – he

saved from a skip

in Newcastle.

It was while

Diarmuid was in

his final year

studying fine art at

Newcastle

University that he

became the

youngest winner of the Natwest Art Prize in 1995, aged 23.

The experience and confidence he gained from this

success, and in the National Gallery’s BP Portrait Award,

was a career catalyst. “Art competitions are important

when you’re a young painter,” says Diarmuid. “When you’re

working on your own, there’s no way of knowing if your work

is good or bad. It’s [important] to have somebody from the

outside world to give you an indication that you should

keep doing what you’re doing because it’s distinctive and

worthwhile.” These shows also provided young art dealer

Offer Waterman with his first glimpse of Diarmuid’s work.

The artist moved to London to study an MA at Chelsea

College of Art and Design just as Offer was establishing a

gallery, and Diarmuid’s first solo show there followed

shortly after. The pair have been inseparable since.

Back then, he was influenced by the likes of Lucian

Freud, using heavy impasto and gestural sweeps of oil, but

found the work hard to exhibit because the reflective

nature of the paint detracted from the form he was

describing. Taking note from some of Freud’s earlier works

• where the paint was less textured – Diarmuid gradually
  pared back his approach, and nowadays mixes C Roberson

PAINTING HIS FRIEND KARL, HE

ALLOWED THE ALIZARIN

CRIMSON UNDERPAINTING TO

SHINE THROUGH THE BEARD

ONLY ADDING PAINT TO

HIGHLIGHTS OF FACIAL HAIR

69 Diarmuid Kelley.indd 70 10/04/2017 11:01