Hilary Heron: A Retrospective

16 November 2024 to 15 February 2025

Hilary Heron: A Retrospective celebrates the pioneering work of modernist sculptor Hilary Heron (1923 – 1977) and travels to the F.E. McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge after a successful run at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. A Dublin born sculptor, with family roots in County Armagh, Hilary Heron represented Ireland at the 1956 Venice Biennale alongside painter Louis le Brocquy (1916 – 2012). The first major retrospective of Heron’s work since 1964, this exhibition seeks to correct the ways that her work has been overlooked in Irish and international histories of modern sculpture. It brings together work from national and international collections, including carvings, welding and castings. Heron was a master welder, a practice highly unusual for an Irish artist, let alone a woman in the 1950s. Her work tactfully and skillfully broaches themes of gender, relationships, deep histories and religion through impressive, varied mediums including stone, lead, steel and wood.

This exhibition is curated by Seán Kissane, Curator, IMMA, in collaboration with Riann Coulter, Curator, FE Mc William Gallery & Studio.