Denis Brown
Curriculum Vitae
Denis Brown's work stems from ancient traditions of manuscript writing, and he has engaged with these since his early teens. Rigorous formal training in traditional calligraphy at London's Roehampton Institute has formed a strong foundation for later experimental work. His work explodes from and extends traditions of calligraphy in the form of innovative works of art. Widely traveled with his work, he has lectured on four continents, and is internationally recognized as a world leader in the field of Letter Arts.
Date of Birth: 1968, Dublin, Ireland
Education
Diploma in Advanced Calligraphy, Roehampton Institute, London,1986-1989.
Distinctions & Fellowships
Honoured Fellowship of Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society UK (HFCLAS),
Honorary membership of Hong Kong Letter Arts Club.
Honorary membership of Alpha Beta Club, Hong Kong.
Portfolio member of Crafts Council of Ireland.
Fellowship of Society of Scribes and Illuminators UK, (FSSI), awarded 1988, since resigned.
Selected Collections
Art Collection of the European Parliament, Strasbourg & Brussels; British Library, London; Newberry Library Chicago; San Francisco Public Library; Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge UK; National Museum of Ireland; Akademie der Künste / Berliner Sammlung Calligrapher; Trinity College Library, Dublin; Chester Beatty Library, Dublin; Crafts Council of Ireland; Irish Office of Public Works; The Great Book of Ireland, University College Cork; Irish Life PLC; The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.
Recent Awards
2015 RDS National Craft Awards:Paper & Calligraphy Established Maker prize.
2014 RDS National Craft Awards: the Glass Category prize and the Calligraphy and Lettering category prize.
Total of 27 prizes won in this annual competition since 1989, including 12 first prizes in the calligraphy category, 2 first prizes in the glass category; and 9 overall awards (incl. 2 California Gold Medals, 2 Craft Council of Ireland awards, Muriel Gahan Scholarship, Millennium award, etc)
2006: The Crafts Council of Ireland Bursary award
Exhibitions
2018: 'The Maker's Hand', 50 Years of the RDS Craft Awards, RDS Dublin.
2016: A Word's Worth: Asheville Calligraphy Emporium, Asheville, North Carolina USA.
RDS National Craft Awards exhibition, RDS Dublin & National Museum of Ireland,Turlough Park, Co. Mayo
2015: Manna Kunsthuis, Bruges Belgium. Promgrafica Gallery Moscow, RDS National Craft Awards exhibition, RDS Dublin
2014: FACING PAGES: The Art of The Great Book of Ireland, Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork. RDS National Craft Awards exhibition, RDS Dublin & Hunt Museum Limerick
2013: 'Art Collection of the European Parliament: Ireland', European Parliament, Brussels; 'Future Beauty: Irish Craft Portfolio, Critical Selection', National Craft Gallery Kilkenny and Farmleigh Gallery Dublin
2012: 'Calligraphy Today', Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge UK; 'Source, Contemporary Craft' Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council; Faculty Exhibition 'Calligraphy Northwest', the 31st International calligraphy Conference, Portland Oregon.
2011: 'Illuminate, Contemporary Irish Glass' at the Kenny Gallery, Galway; Irish Craft Portfolio 2011, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny & Farmleigh Gallery Dublin ; 'Exploring Perceptions of Contemporary Craft',Lavit Gallery Cork; 'Modified Expression', National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny
2010: Naples Museum of Art, Florida; invited exhibitor in 'The Saint John’s Bible and the Art of the Book' exhibit. 'Living Letters Three: Small Objects of Desire', Reg Vardy Gallery, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, England. Irish Craft Portfolio 2010, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Kennys Gallery, Galway, Farmleigh Gallery Dublin, Stour Gallery, Warwickshire UK.
2009: 'Botanica; Nature up close’ Gallery 13, West Hollywood, California; 'Living Letters Three: Small Objects of Desire', Riverhouse Gallery, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, UK; RDS National Crafts Competition Prize Winners Traveling Exhibition, RDS Dublin & national tour.
2008: 'WORDSCAPES' by Denis Brown, October 2nd – November 10th; Gallery 13, West Hollywood, California; Letters Mingle Souls Faculty Exhibit, International Conference for Lettering Artists, Chicago.
2007: National craft winners Exhibition, Royal Dublin Society (RDS) and tour. Island Magic, International Calligraphy Conference Vancouver Island, faculty exhibit.
2006: SOFA, Chicago, U.S.; Word & Craft, Art Center of Asheville, NC, U.S.; St. Louis Calligraphy Guild 25th Anniversary Exhibit, St. Louis Calligraphy Guild, St. Louis, U.S. "Black & White" Conference, faculty exhibit, Seattle, U.S. RDS National crafts exhibition, RDS Dublin plus tour.
Other Events
2012: Keynote presentation at the 31st International calligraphy Conference, Portland Oregon: watch on YouTube
2009: "Wishie" series debuts with exhibition in Gallery 13, Hollywood California.
2008: Solo performance of large scale live art combined with multi media projections and music filmed/recorded by the artist. A special evening event staged at Letters Mingle Souls, The 2008 International Conference for Lettering Artists, Chicago.
2007: Keynote presentation of work by Denis Brown at the 2007 International Conference for Lettering Artists, Island magic, Vancouver Island, BC.
Publications
'Brown Calligraphy, Denis Brown Discusses his Art',Quill Skill Publishing, 2017. Major artist's monograph.
Calligrapy.TV, educational video masterclasses, Currently offering two online courses and a documentary series at Calligraphy.TV
Magazines/Articles
November 2014 Special edition of The Calligraphy & Letter Arts Society full color magazine 'The Edge' (UK): Written & Designed by Denis Brown
Winter 2014 edition of Letter Arts Review Magazine, USA, (Vol. 28:1) features an illustrated article on Denis Brown's art projects in Beijing 2013: "At Work in Beijing" by Holly Cohen.
December 2012, Scriptores (Netherlands/Belgium) color feature/review of Denis Brown's"Italic Rhythm to Polyrhythm" DVD video program. Reviewed by Yves Leterme, (Jg.27/nr.4/2012)
November 2012 Special edition of The Calligraphy & Letter Arts Society full color magazine 'The Edge' (UK): Written & Designed by Denis Brown.
Irish Craft Portfolio Book 2011, Crafts Council of Ireland
Winter 2010 Special full color edition of The Calligraphy & Letter Arts Society magazine 'The Edge' (UK): Written & Designed by Denis Brown.
January 2010: Letter Arts Review Magazine (U.S.): issue 24:1 features a comprehensive full color article on Denis Brown's 'A Thousand Wishes' series.
January 2010: CLAS (Calligraphy & Letter Arts Society) magazine 'The Edge' (U.K.): special full color 4 page insert on Denis Browns 'A Thousand Wishes' included with January issue.
Irish Craft Portfolio Book, 2010, published by the Crafts Council of Ireland features Denis Brown among its other 'portfolio' members.
New Year 2009 special edition full color magazine featuring Denis Brown & David McGrail published by CLAS (Calligraphy & Letter Arts Society), the largest UK calligraphy guild.
Society for Calligraphy, (SFC) Los Angeles color feature on Denis' glass art in the Winter 2009 issue of their Calligraph magazine.
Schreibwerkstatt Klingspor Offenbach, (Germany) Jahrescheft 2009, features Denis Brown, 'Schreibe, Wie du Denkst'
Colophon Magazine, June 2009 published by Australian Society of Calligraphers features a color feature and interview with Denis Brown.
US magazine Bound and Lettered has a color feature on Denis Brown in vol.7 no.2, 2008
Irish Arts Review: Winter 2008, Irish Craft 2008 supplement; also Summer 2007, 'Standard Setters' feature.
The Music of Ink, self published DVD Movie documenting live art & multimedia performance presented Chicago 2008 International Conference for Letter Arts.
Websites
www.calligraphy.tv
www.quillskill.com
www.glass.quillskill.com
YouTube Channel
Facebook
Teaching Experience
Denis Brown has conducted international workshops at the invitation of calligraphy organisations in the United States, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Turkey, Russia, Ireland, Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, France and Italy. He has been on the faculty of most of the annual international calligraphy conferences since 1994.
Workshop information available: click here
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