A place to be
Diarmuid Breen
Main Gallery
1 October - 31 October 2026
“I create paintings that explore work and the human experience of working. My artwork focuses on the routines, pressures, and expectations that shape everyday life, often highlighting how work can become repetitive, exhausting, or overwhelming. Alongside this, my paintings include a quieter subplot about the importance of free time. I am interested in the contrast between moments of labor and moments of rest, and how rare and meaningful unstructured time can be. These moments are shown as pauses, empty spaces, or shifts in mood that suggest relief, reflection, or freedom. They represent the human need to exist beyond constant responsibility. I use paint, color, and composition to emphasize repetition and structure within work environments, while allowing freer marks and softer elements to appear in scenes of rest. This contrast mirrors the tension between obligation and personal time. Through my work, I hope viewers reflect on their own relationship with work and consider the value of rest as an essential part of being human.” Diarmuid Breen, 2026.
Born in Cork, Diarmuid graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology BAVA, Sherkin Arts Programme in 2012. Since then he has exhibited regularly in Cork and Dublin. He is represented by Taylor Galleries in Dublin, McKenna Gallery in Omagh, Co. Tyrone and Blue House Gallery, Schull, County Cork. He has exhibited in the Boyle Arts Festival, RHA Annual exhibitions and was the inaugural winner of the Anita Young Award for a mid-career artist at the 191st RHA Annual Exhibition. He was also awarded the de Vere’s prize for an artwork of distinction at the 194th RHA Annual Exhibition. His painting The Avenue was purchased by the OPW in 2024 and is now part of their permanent collection.