About Genieve Figgis

Genieve Figgis, born in 1972 in Dublin, is an acclaimed contemporary artist known for her distinctive approach to painting that blends historical influences with a modern, subversive twist. Figgis first gained significant attention with her vibrant, often macabre reimaginings of Rococo and Baroque scenes, through which she critiques and distorts traditional narratives of power, class, and romance.

Her artwork is characterized by a unique, almost haunting aesthetic that employs a lush, saturated palette and a loose, fluid painting style that gives her subjects a ghostly, otherworldly appearance. Educated at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Figgis developed a style that challenges the formal rigidity and idealized beauty typical of classical portraits and historical scenes. By introducing elements of the grotesque and surreal, her paintings become lively, dynamic commentaries on the darker undercurrents of these opulent periods in art history. Her figures often appear melting or distorted, their faces and bodies rendered with a sense of motion that seems to capture them in a state of transformation or decay.

Figgis’s painting method involves using acrylics and other fast-drying media, which allows her to work quickly, adding to the spontaneity and energy evident in her brushstrokes. This technique contributes to the dreamlike quality of her paintings, where colors bleed into one another and forms are suggested rather than fully defined. In addition to her acclaimed painting practice, Figgis has also explored printmaking, where she extends her thematic and stylistic explorations onto prints. This medium allows her to experiment with a range of techniques, further diversifying her expression and reach.

Notable exhibitions

Genieve Figgis gained early institutional recognition with her participation in the L’Almanach Biennale at the Consortium Museum in Dijon in 2018.

She was later featured in the group exhibition “Desire: A Revision, from the 20th Century to the Digital Age” at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin in 2019, and held a major solo exhibition titled “Drama Party” at M WOODS Museum in Beijing in 2023.

In 2024, she debuted new works at the Venice Biennale as part of a collateral exhibition at Palazzo Cavanis, marking her most high-profile biennial appearance to date.