CUNNINGHAM-BELL
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Portfolio History



​Sara Cunningham-Bell

Picture

The Shepherd’s shovels shone, for underneath
The soot we saw the stone clean at the heart
As on the starting-day. The refuse heaps
Were grained with that fine dust that made the world;
For he had said, ‘To the pure all things pure’
​
- 
Edwin Muir, ‘The Transfiguration’
​
The award-winning artist Cunningham-Bell works out of a studio on the North Coast of Ireland. Central to her work is the endeavour to interrupt the dualisms that divide up the lived world, forming the realities we seek to inhabit. The most important of these being, spirit / matter.

Such dualisms work only by a reactive, rather than a creative mode of thinking, for any value allocated, or found is only the result of its opposite. In other words, the accepted depends on the rejected, the venerated on the despised, and the sacred on the profane.
Cunningham-Bell's art negotiates this quandary, in an effort to present the truth of beauty - a truth that cannot be dependent on the ugly.

The poet David Jones tells us that 'there is no escape from the Incarnation. It's like a shunting train'. So if indeed God can and has become Man our imaginations are shown to be poor, shoddy affairs, our monies have lost their worth, for we cannot understand the sense of such an event. Before such logic, the divine cannot simply be the opposite of the mundane. Moreover, where now do we go to find the merely mundane? Thus the logics we live by find no rest, for they can no longer simply divide and rule---there being no enabling leftover, or pure remnant---mere peel from which the bright, juicy orange is to be freed, the peel now discarded, and the soft Kernel venerated.

Likewise, we cannot be citizens only because we are not foreigners, or family because of blood.

'No wonder then that Theology regards the body as a unique good. Without body: without sacrament. Angels only: no sacrament. Beast only: no sacrament. Man: sacrament at every turn and at all levels of the 'profane' and 'sacred', in the trivial and in the profound, no escape from sacrament'.
- D. Jones
​
This, then, is the joyous burden of the artist, indeed of all who would be alive. Matter is the invitation to live---the very prayer of attention (to echo Malebranche), and responsibility. Art is now the craft of the impossible---there now being nothing ordinary.

Education


Queen’s University, Belfast, 
Masters of Science (MSc),
​2011 -12.

Strathclyde University, Glasgow, 
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE),
1992-93.

​Edinburgh College of Art, Heriot-Watt University,
Post-Graduate Diploma in Design (PostGrad Dip. Des.),
1991-92.

​Edinburgh College of Art, Heriot-Watt University,
 BA Hons, 1988-91.
Sara's  degree work won the Andrew Grant prize which funded postgraduate studies at Edinburgh College of Art, after which her work represented Ireland in the ​Grands et Jeunes D’Aujourd’Hui Salon 2000 Paris and Luxembourg. Her work has been part of over 40 group shows, eight solo shows in France, Luxembourg, Scotland and Ireland and she has completed international public work for a variety of sites: hotel, university, school, company HQ, council, Main Street, rural landscape.


​

Public Art


2024- 2010
- Sculpture at FE McWilliam Gallery, 2024
-Belfast City Council, Public Sculpture commission, Two Stage Public Sculpture competition:
 7.8m sculpture and five Parkland sculptures, with project video support, with embedded community workshpops, 2022-2023
The Forth Meadow Community Greenway project delivered by Belfast City Council, with funding provided by the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), the Department for Communities and the Department for Infrastructure. The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland have provided support for the PEACE IV element of the project.
​

-Sculpture Dublin, Three Stage Public Sculpture commission; a Dublin City Council initiative developed alongside Parks and Landscape Services, City Arts Office,
  supported by Hugh Lane Gallery, and the Visual Artists Ireland; 
 
https://youtu.be/6Z4t01sv41w; 2021
​
-CCGB Council commission with Special European Union Peace Body funding, Two Stage Public Sculpture competition: Dungiven, 'Abundance and Renewal'; https://youtu.be/msZTtn8ZTM0;  2020
-Holocaust Memorial, European IV Peace Programme, with Northern Ireland Executive Office (NIEO), Two Stage Commission, short listed, runner up; 2020
-Ulster University, 50th Anniversary Public sculpture commission, with Garfield Weston Trust, The Honourable The Irish Society, and local business sector, 2019;  Public Sculpture with
  community sculpture workshops, and accompanying book with QR code to a youtube video:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOu_xoDMq38; 2019
-County Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, with Arts Council NI, lead artist ,‘Love Living Here’, 2 sculpture outcomes: Wall montage, & school façade glass mosaic; 2018, 2019
-Freedom of the Borough, Mervyn White, commissioned by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; 2018       
-‘UNITY’, County,3 m tall x 3metre wide, polished stainless and copper piping; 2017                                                     
-Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Triptych oil on canvas commission for Olympiad Rowers; 2017                                                                      
-Belfast, Ballymena, and Magherafelt businesses, Oil on canvas Commissions; 2017                                                                     
-St. Albans, England, 'Twice’, bronze figurative sculpture; 2017                                                                                           
-Kelvatek Company, Lisburn- Signature Sculpture, polished Stainless and Mourne Granite, 4 metres; 2017                             
-Cornfield Project, Hartford Park Woodland, Coleraine – 2m tall, 12mm steel, woven willow, sculpture with community workshops; Green Community Project collaboration with: Bell Architects, Kew       Gardens, Grow Wild; 2015, 2016           
-Roscommon County Council/NRA, Ballaghaderreen Bypass Public Art Two Stage Commission, short listed, runner up; 2015                  
-Bond’s St. Derry, relief Sculpture, Two stage commission, Won: European Union Programme for Peace and Reconciliation, The Art Council for NI, International Fund for Ireland,
​  (steel and Perspex, 4 sites); community workshops written, and offered; 2015               
-Armagh Public Art, Two Stage Competition, short listed; 2014                                                                                           
-DECAL and Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) Stadium; Two stage commission, won; galvanised mild steel, high strength low alloy steel, and polished stainless steel (90 metres long, 6 metres high);
  with community involvement in talks and workshops throughout the project; 2014-15                                                                                                     
-Tipperary County Council, One stage public art commission, achieving top criteria mark: Per Cent Art Scheme; 2015
-Sculptures photographed for PR illustrations - commission by St Anne’s College, University of Oxford for the  ‘Soul’ Conference’, and The Veritas series; 2013-2014                                       
-Camlin Ltd, Lisburn, N.I, 3 metres tall, Polished stainless steel & Mourne granite; 2012                                
-Millar Collection (etched glass and steel), Bronze figurative sculpture, free standing; 2012                                                 
-Hospice, Derry, 1 x 1.5m, stretched oil canvas; with community workshop and PR material; 2012                                   
-Krakow, Poland, Centre of Theology and Philosophy (CTP); 2011                                                                                       
-Low Relief moving door/Wall Sculpture (Ash wood, 3 metres x 2 metres), private client; 2011 ​​
2010- 2006
Commissioned work by CTP for Pope Benedict XVI, (Vatican City); 2008                                                                           
Relief Sculpture, polished stainless Steel, Main St, Ballymoney; 2008                                                 
Publicity work based on sculpture forms - (CTP) Rome, Italy; 2008                                                                     
Irish Society Court, Coleraine, Kinetic, Public Sculpture; 2007                                                                           
Publishing Houses: Eerdmans (U.S.), SCM-Canterbury, W.J Knox, Routledge Press; 2006 - 14                                               
Publicity work, Sculptures photographed as illustrations - (CTP), Granada, Spain; 2006/7​                                                   
2005-1987
Coleraine Chamber of Commerce & Industry, N.I, stainless steel, copper Sculpture; 2005                                                   
Lifford, Donegal – stainless steel Roof Sculpture; 2005                                                                                                     
Ciga Health Care – mirror polished stainless steel Sculpture Fountain; 2005                                                                       
​
​Rathmullan Country House, Donegal - Sculpture Fountain; 2004                                                                                       
McLaughlin & Harvey – steel and copper Sculpture Fountain, Coleraine; 2004                                                                   
Canary Wharf Hotel, London – copper and mild steel Wall Sculpture; 2004                                                                         
Custom House Quay, Dublin – steel copper, glass Room divide sculpture; 2004                                                                 
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry, Dublin – free standing, steel figurative sculpture; 2004                                                           
Jurys Hotel, Glasgow – Window steel Sculpture; 2003                                                                                                   
J.D.
Wetherspoon, Coleraine - four wall commissions; 2002                                                                             
Two stage Public Commission shortlisted: Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, Public Sculpture; 2001       
Limavady Council, Art Collection; 2001                                                                             
The Irish Concrete Society Award, shortlist; 2000                     
Moores of Coleraine, painting commission; 2001                                                                                           
The Mater Hospital, Belfast - two commissions, and publicity material; 2001                                         
Victoria College, Belfast – Open Competition Commission, 2 life size bronze figures, with school workshop addressing relevance to the A' Level and GCSE syllabus; 2001                                                                             
Stormont Hotel, Hastings Group - four commissions, Main Foyer; 1999                                                                 
Bass Ireland Contemporary Art Collection – Figurative Sculpture, bronze; 1999                                                     
N.E. Borough Council Commission – Saint Colmcille; 1999                                                                                     
Adelaide Cafe, Bath St, Glasgow G1- Public Sculpture; 1995                                                                                 
Princess Square, Buchanan St. Glasgow, ceramic stoneware, sculpture clocks; 1994-96                                         
Heriot-Watt University Collection, Ceramic Sculpture; 1993                                                         
Bank of Ireland, HQ,Belfast; 1986                                                                                  





Selection of Group & Solo Shows


Group Exhibition Selection:
‘Bloodroot’, selected by Hamilton Gallery and Irish Embassy, The Hague, Netherlands; January -March 2025
Speyside Gallery, The Highlands; January-March 2025
Royal Scottish Academy, SSA Annual Show; Nov-December 2024
Selected, Dublin Show - European Parliament Liaison Office, and the European Commission Representation in Ireland, ‘Europe in the Heart of Ireland’ ; October 2024-25
Selected and showing. group show - North Yorkshire Sculpture Park; HGSP; 2024
Society of Scottish Artist's, Annual Show, selected, The Maclaurin Gallery, Ayrshire Scotland; 2023

'Ancestral Houses' exhibition opening at Beijing June 2023-24; touring four cities: Shanghai, Chengdu (VA Gallery), Chongqing (VA Gallery) September to November 2023
Invited artist for the WB Yeats Retrospective Show, Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, Ireland, 2023
Sculpture in Context, selected for the 2023 show, The National Botanical Gardens, Dublin 
Drenagh Estate, Limavady -  2023 - 2025
​Royal Ulster Academy, selected for the Show, Ulster Museum Belfast, 2022
SWA, The Mall Galleries, London, September 2022
Hamilton Gallery, low relief sculpture, inspired by, Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin's poem 'St. Brigid's Well'; Sligo and Beijing, 2022​
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast, 2021
Sculpture in Context - National Botanic Gardens, Dublin;  2021
Hamilton Gallery, invited artist, group show,  'Meditation Civil War', 2021
Hamilton Gallery curated, work based on Eva Gore-Booth literary works, Manchester exhibition, Summer 2020
New York, with Hamilton Gallery, Sligo (invited Artist) opened by Ireland’s Minister for State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciarán Cannon, September 2019
Irish Embassy: London, Berlin, Dublin, travelling Show with Hamilton Gallery (invited Artist),Feb - March 2019
Hamilton Gallery, Sligo (Invited Artist), show based on W.B. Yeats literary work, June – Nov. 2018
Hamilton Gallery, Sligo (Invited Artist),June – Sept. 2017
Cornfield Project, Sculpture narrative workshop based on George (2m steel sculpture),2017
Causeway Coast and Glens Council, Mayors Parlour,2017
Fine Art Henry Gilmore Gallery, Holywood,2009-17
1608, Bushmills, 2011-2020
White Image, Hillsborough,2007
Cherrylane Fine Arts, Killincarrig, Co. Wicklo, 2006      
Green Door, Dunfanaghy, Donegal,2006
The James Gallery, Bangor,2001- 05
Kerlin Gallery, 2000 - 04
The Townhouse, Belfast , 2002 -03
The Engine Room, Belfast, 1999 -16
Elaine Somers Gallery, Holywood , 1997, 98, & 2016
The McLellan Gallery, Sauchiehall St., Glasgow, 1997
The Compass Gallery, Glasgow, 1996
Behind The Front Door, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, 1991
Boundaries - Stills Gallery, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh,1992
‘Nature’ Calder Glen Country Park Glasgow, group show,1990
 
Solo Exhibitions:

FE McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge (sculpture), June – September 2024
Flowerfield Art Centre Parkland, Portstewart; 'More is Different', life size figurative, wood sculpture show, 2021

Gallery 1608, Bushmills, LIFE series (oil on canvas, concrete and bronze work),2018
Roe Valley Arts and Culture Centre, Limavady, MOVE +b Still, (oil, bronze and concrete work),2018
The Engine Room, Belfast, ‘Evolution of our Soul’, (oil, concrete, photography, and video), 2014
YouTube video – ‘The Body is there to Ennoble the Soul, ‘(St. Thomas Aquinas),2014
Harmony Hill Arts Centre, Lisburn, 2000
The Waterfront Hall, Belfast, 1st floor and Foyer, 1999
The Maclaurin Gallery, Ayrshire Scotland, 1997
Flowerfield Art centre, Portstewart, 1997
Listening to Silence, Leith, Edinburgh, 1992
Edinburgh Festival, large photographic canvases, 1992
Touring Exhibitions: Representing Ireland, International Show - Grands et Jeunes D’Aujourd’Hui Salon 2000 Paris, Luxembourg, Japan (sculpture work), 2001                                                                                            
Bass Ireland Show; touring: Portstewart, Waterfront Hall Belfast, Lisburn,2002
St. Annes Cathedral, Belfast, 2000
Caffreys New Irish Contemporary Art, Flowerfield, Portstewart,1998 - 00
Arles, France, International Photographic Conference,  1993 


​Sara Cunningham-Bell work is held in collections of:
Edinburgh University, Bass Ireland, Causeway Coast and Glens Council, Hasting Hotels, Fraser-Smallwood. 

Presently Sara is working on a kinetic sculpture as a learning tool for genocide victims.
Her public sculpture Towards Tomorrow was short listed for the Irish Sculpture Concrete Award, 2020.


​
​

​Articles

Irish Ceramics, third edition, hardback, Goode J., 2021
Concrete Society, UK, March, 2020

Visual Arts Ireland (VAI)-Sculptors Society of Ireland Newsletter, 2014, 2015, 2017
Living Design, 2019
Perspective journal, 2019, 2018
Ulster Tatler, 2018; Solo Show Opening
​Local Woman, 2018; Artist bio and Solo Show work
Ulster Tatler Interiors, 2016-17; sculpture and stained glass window commissions

Invited writer of quarterly journal - Christianity and The Arts (USA & Ireland), 2002
Sculpture Society of Ireland, journal; articles: 1999, 2000
Northern Ireland Interior and Living Design, 1999
Arts Centre Group (ACG); Scottish Rep. for ACG, 1994, 1996
Art Journal, (AJ) London, 1995-1997
Art and Design Writing Group, commissioned by the Strathclyde, Education Dpt. Scotland, 1995

Research for BBC documentary, ‘Cultural Relevance of The Tree’, based on degree dissertation, 1991
​

​

​Catalogues

'Bloodroot', The Hague Netherlands; inspired by Anne Marie Ní Churreáin, curator Hamilton Gallery, 2025
'
Ancestral Houses' exhibition opening at Beijing June 2023; touring four cities: Shanghai, Chengdu (VA Gallery), Chongqing (VA Gallery) September to November 2023
'Among School Children', W.B.Yeats, invited and curated by Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, June 2020
Eva-Gore-Booth, Literary Works, Manchester and Dublin, curated by Hamilton Gallery, 2019, 2020

W.B. Yeats in New York, with Hamilton Gallery, Sligo; exhibition opened by Ireland’s Minister for State for the Diaspora and International Development, Ciarán Cannon,  September 2019
W.B. Yeats, travelling show (London, Berlin, Dublin), curated by Hamilton Gallery,  February 2019
LIFE, Gallery 1608,  2018
MOVE +B Still, Roe Valley Arts Centre, 2018
Evolution of Our Soul, The Engine Room Gallery, Belfast, 2014
Harmony Hill Arts Centre, Lisburn, 2000
Anamnesis, Solo show, Waterfront Hall, Belfast,  1999
Caffreys New Irish Contemporary Art, Flowerfield Arts Centre,  1998
Winter Group Show, The Compass Gallery, Glasgow, 1996      
Edinburgh Fringe Festival,  1992

Boundaries, (Group Show), Stills Gallery, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh,  1992 

​

​

YouTube


Ulster University public sculpture
The Body is there to Ennoble the Soul, ‘ St. Thomas Aquinas;
Engine Room Gallery, Belfast, Solo show


Artistic Works within Publications


Transcendence and Phenomenology, eds. Peter Candler, Jr. and Conor Cunningham, Veritas Series
Theology, Psychoanalysis and Trauma, Marcus Pound, Veritas Series
Grandeur and Reason, Peter Candler, Jr. and Conor Cunningham, Veritas Series
Diagonal Advance, Perfection in Christian Theology, Anthony D. Baker, Veritas Series
The Recalcitrant, Imago Dei, J.P. Morland, Veritas Series
Protestant Metaphysics After Karl Barth and Martin Heidegger, Timothy Stanley, Veritas Series
Christ, History and Apocalyptic, The Politics of Christian Mission, Nathan R. Kerr, Veritas Series
Heidegger, S.J. McGrath, Intervention Series, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Metaphysics, Adrian Pabst, Intervention Series, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Zizek, Marcus Pound, Intervention Series, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Naturalism, Stewart Goetz and Charles Taliaserro, Intervention Series, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Genealogy of Nihilism, Conor Cunningham, Routledge
Belief and Metaphysics, eds. Peter M Candler, Jr and Conor Cunningham; SCM Press
Christ, History and Apocalyptic, The Politics of Christian Mission; Nathan R. Kerr; SCM Press
Rome Conference PR visuals for Centre of Theology and Philosophy
The Future of Hylomorphism: Something and Someone to Talk About; PR visuals for Centre of Theology and Philosophy
Mater Hospital, Belfast, PR visuals from painting commissions





​Press Summary of Disciplines
​


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