Dublin’s got talent — and nobody knows that better than us.
The country’s best and brightest gravitate to the capital, but a few stars simply shine brighter than the rest in this particular galaxy. Since it pays to know who’s at the top of their game in the creative playgrounds, we thought we’d show you some of the most noteworthy creators operating in Dublin right now.
duda Duda, AKA David Uda, lives and works between Dublin and New York. With a background in fashion and a love for the aesthetics of shape and form, the artist is known for making colourful pieces using a variety of techniques, ranging from original stencil compositions to glasswork. His work focuses on popular culture, modern life and the exploration of beauty.
james earley One of the judges in The Brickhouse Art Competition, this street artist has built quite a rep for himself in this town. Coming from a family that ran a stained-glass business, Earley’s work evokes a sense of those sacred yet fractured windows in his work.
fuchsia macaree A designer working in Dublin, Macaree’s prints are seriously funky. Her unique illustrations find their way into magazines, onto tote bags, even onto the street walls — and her work immediately improves anything it touches.
steve mccarthy This Dublin-born artist is deeply interested in character, colour and humour. An award-winning illustrator, McCarthy has bagged accolades in the past, such as the Best Illustration at the IDI Irish Design Awards 2016 and National Book Tokens Children’s Book Of The Year (Junior) 2017. He even worked on background design for the Academy Award-nominated animated film, Song Of The Sea.
suzie mcadam This interior design expert got her start in the industry back in 2010, where she worked on high-end residential projects for a Californian design studio. Since returning to Ireland in 2011, McAdam has revamped spaces for struggling retailers on RTÉ’s Retail Therapy and has established one of the country’s leading interior design consultancies. Boasting a broad knowledge of period and mid-century pieces through to contemporary styles, her portfolio is a thing of beauty.
el viz In a previous life this Dubliner had a 9-5 job in a bank, but the call of street art proved too strong to resist. Responsible for some of the city’s most visually arresting graffiti, El Viz specialises in lowbrow and surreal pop-art. His goal is to transform the dull, grey spaces of our city by filling them with works of art that stops passers-by in their tracks.
conor merriman A freelance branding designer and doodler of some renown that has been a creative ambassador for Microsoft Ireland. He mainly focuses on fashion, film posters and brand-related content. Merriman is well-versed in a number of disciplines, such as portraiture, poster design, branding, speed illustrations, storyboarding and web design. His work has taken him around Ireland, as well as to London, Spain, France, Italy and Belgium.
hugh o’conor Writer, director, actor and photographer, the depth of this guy’s talent might just make you sick with envy. O’Conor studied drama at the Samuel Beckett Centre in Trinity College and film at Tisch School of the Arts in New York University. His work has been exhibited at the RHA, Dublin, and the RUA in Belfast. His latest film, Metal Heart, is set to be released sometime in 2018
Feature image photographed by Dara Mac Dónaill, source The Irish Times