Award-winning Limerick-based artist selected for portrait of renowned writer

ARTIST Gerry Davis has been chosen to create the portrait of novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer Edna O’Brien.

As part of Accenture’s Women on Walls at University College Cork, 11 trailblazing women from, or with links to, the Munster region, will feature in the portrait series which will hang in UCC’s historic Aula Maxima.

Women on Walls aims to celebrate the contributions of Ireland’s female leaders and make them visible in a collection that will inspire generations to come.

Limerick-based artist Gerry Davis has spent years capturing the essence of the world around him through his evolving practice of painting. 

Now, as one of the commissioned artists for Accenture's Women on Walls at UCC, he will be turning his talent to depicting one of Ireland's most notable writers, Edna O'Brien.

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Whether working in realism or imaginative composition, his work is deeply rooted in both observation and personal experience. 

From the artist studios of Limerick to explorations of Irish identity and culture, Davis continues to push the boundaries of his artistic expression. Davis’ passion for painting began in secondary school, where he was struck by the endless creative possibilities the medium offered. 

This enthusiasm led him to study at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), immersing himself in the world of painting and beginning to define his own artistic voice. 

His influences are wide-ranging, from the connections made at LSAD to the vibrant community at Wickham Street Studios in Limerick. 

These relationships continue to shape his practice, reinforcing the importance of artistic exchange and shared experience.

Davis’ work has received significant recognition, including winning the Hennessy Portrait Prize in 2016, which led to a commission to paint Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin for the National Gallery of Ireland. 

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His most recent exhibition, The Dancing Grass, saw the OPW acquire its largest painting, which is now touring as part of the Connections exhibition at major galleries across Ireland.

“My style has evolved a lot over time. Really there are two main strands to my painting practice: realism and imaginative painting,” Davis explains. “ I spent a few years making realistic paintings of artists' studios, depicting the rooms and various art materials and artworks in them as meticulously as possible. Then at other times, painting the “everyday” may become tedious, so I focus more on creating imaginative paintings by juxtaposing imagery from various sources.”

Gerry spoke on the portrait of Edna O’Brien; “Depicting someone of such literary importance is both an honor and a challenge,” he says. “Since she’s no longer living, the process becomes about interpretation—piecing together her presence through historical context, photographs, and the emotional depth she conveyed in her work.”