“She starts by using very runny translucent paint that she dribbles on and pushes around and let’s pool. It seems a very personal and instinctive way of working, but she is also very good at capturing an insightful likeness in her portraiture, which makes for a powerful combination.” Tai Shan Schierenberg, Beyond The Canvas, Quadrille Publishing Ltd

“My current work jostles between representation and abstraction and experiments with the possibilities of painting both through its language and material substance. I’m interested in blurring the boundaries between reality, memory and the imagined.” Selena Mowat

Born in Inverness
BA(Hons)Fine Art, DOJCAD, Dundee University 2002
Lecturer in Drawing & Painting, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee University 2004 – 2010

Painting since childhood.

Currently living and working in County Donegal, Ireland

David Gordon Memorial Prize, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh // 2002
Mario Lanza Residency, Filignano, Isernia, Italy // 2003
Shortlisted, British School of Rome, London, England // 2003
Dundee Visual Artists Award, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Scotland // 2004                                            DVAA Scheme Publication, DCA, Scotland // 2005
The Workroom Residency, Tramway, Glasgow, Scotland // 2009
Yuck and Yum(contributor)Artzine, Dundee, Scotland // 2012
Founder/Director/Curator, Hoopdash Collective, Dundee // 2008
Artists Bursary Award, Donegal County Council, Donegal, Ireland // 2011
Founder/Secretary, Avant Garda Artist Collective, Ireland // 2012
Founder/Curator/Editor, Zweef Artzine, Donegal, Ireland // 2012
Glebe Gallery Prize, Derek Hill Foundation, Donegal, Ireland // 2013
Victor Vasarely Residency, Victor Vasarely Foundation, Aix, France // 2013
Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, National Portrait Gallery, London // 2013
A Little Book of Portraits – Beyond the canvas, Quadrille Publishers, London // 2014.                      Centenary – Ireland remembers 1916, Custodian Publishing, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin // 2017

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Exhibitions

2024  Third Space // Markethouse, Dunfanaghy, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2023  SOLACE (solo) // RCC, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2023  Her Country / Without Men // Glebe Gallery, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2018  Derek Hill and the view from Donegal  //  State Apartments, Dublin Castle, Ireland

2017/18  On The Natural (solo), RCC, Letterkenny  // An Gailearai, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland

2017  Local Heroes (solo) // KulturDiele, Rudolstadt World Music Festival, Germany

2017  Kunstzone // M1 Gallery, Gera, Germany

2016  The Look of the Irish // Glebe Gallery, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2015  The Contemporary Portrait // Thompson’s Gallery, London, England

2015  Vis a Vis // Saale Gallery, Thuringia, Germany

2014  Belonging (solo) // Glebe Gallery, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2013  Sky Arts Portrait Artist Of The Year // National Portrait Gallery, London

2013  ERRARE // Avant Garda Artist Collective, Victor Vasarley Foundation, Aix De Provence, France

2012  Artists Books // DCA, Dundee, Scotland

2012  IMAGINARIUM (solo) // An Grianan Theatre, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2012  Outspace // Earagail Arts Festival, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2012  ‘AUSFAHRT’ // A Special Place, Space 2b, Augsburg, Germany

2011  Are Your Eyes Bleeding Yet? // Belfast Fringe Festival, Northern Ireland

2011  The Floating World  (solo) // ArtCo Gallery, Letterkenny, Co.Donegal, Ireland

2009  Hoopdash // Rehearsal Rooms, Dundee Rep Theatre, Dundee, Scotland

2007  Generator Members Show //  Generator Projects, Dundee, Scotland

2006  Aberdeen Artists // Selective Show, Aberdeen, Scotland

2005  Fake ID // Limousine Bull, Aberdeen, Scotland

2003  Ecce Homo // Isernia, Italy

2003  Spirito // Filignano, Italy

2003  New Graduates // Leith Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland

2002  Royal Academy Annual Student Exhibition // Mcllellan Galleries, Glasgow, Scotland

2002  Painting….per se // Gallery 10, Glasgow, Scotland

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