Seawright is a photographer who has drawn heavily on his Northern Irish background to produce searching photographic investigations of aspects of its fraught political terrain, as in his 'Orange Order' and 'Police Force' series from the early 1990s. In his recent work, Seawright has moved away from an overtly Irish context, focusing on what he has termed a 'generic malevolent landscape' represented by the uninhabited spaces at the edge of cities and forests throughout Europe. These images take the viewer from bright, bleached vacant lots to corners of almost complete darkness, lit only by the dim, ambient light of street lamps, where the city merges with the forest.
Paul Seawright lives and works in Belfast.
Paul Seawright
Untitled (Portrait VIII), 2020
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
110 x 82.5 cm / 43.3 x 32.5 in
Paul Seawright
Untitled (Cow IV), 2020
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
74.6 x 56 cm / 29.4 x 22 in
Paul Seawright
Untitled (Hand), 2020
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
46 x 34.5 cm / 18.1 x 13.6 in
Paul Seawright
Rose, 2015
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
144.9 x 109.2 cm / 57 x 43 in
152.7 x 116.9 cm / 60.1 x 46 in framed
Paul Seawright
Mark, 2015
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
144.9 x 109.2 cm / 57 x 43 in
152.7 x 116.9 cm / 60.1 x 46 in framed
Paul Seawright
Bindings, 2015
pigment print, framed with clarity glass, edition of 3
81.3 x 109.2 cm / 32 x 43 in
89.1 x 117.1 cm / 35.1 x 46.1 in framed
Paul Seawright
Container, 2011
lightjet print mounted on aluminium, framed with UV Plexi-glass, edition of 6
95 x 120 cm / 37.4 x 47.2 in
99 x 124 x 5 cm / 39 x 48.8 x 2 in framed
Paul Seawright
Doors, 2011
lightjet print mounted on aluminium, framed with UV Plexi-glass, edition of 6
95 x 120 cm / 37.4 x 47.2 in
99 x 124 x 5 cm / 39 x 48.8 x 2 in framed
Paul Seawright
Untitled (Grey), 2011
lightjet print mounted on aluminium, framed with UV Plexi-glass, edition of 6
95 x 120 cm / 37.4 x 47.2 in
99 x 124 x 5 cm / 39 x 48.8 x 2 in framed
Paul Seawright
Untitled (woman and child), 2005
lightjet print on fuji crystal paper, mounted on aluminium, edition of 6
127 x 152.4 cm / 50 x 60 in
Collection of National Museums Northern Ireland; University College of Cork; British Government
Paul Seawright
Machine, 2005
lightjet print on fuji crystal paper, mounted on aluminium, framed, edition of 6
127 x 127 cm / 50 x 50 in
Paul Seawright
Untitled (man), 2005
lightjet print on fuji crystal paper, mounted on aluminium, framed, edition of 6
127 x 152.4 cm / 50 x 60 in
Collection of Arts Council of Ireland
Paul Seawright
Room 1, 2002
c-print on fuji crystal paper mounted on aluminium, framed, edition of 6
121.9 x 147.3 cm / 48 x 58 in
Collection of Imperial War Museum, UK
Paul Seawright
Fires Belfast series, 1997
colour type C print on aluminium, edition of 6
150 x 150 cm / 59.1 x 59.1 in
Collection Worcester City Art Centre
Paul Seawright
Cage I, Belfast, 1997
colour type C print on aluminium, edition of 6
188 x 150 cm / 74 x 59.1 in
Paul Seawright
Police Force series, 1995
colour type C print on aluminium, edition of 6
100 x 100 cm / 39.4 x 39.4 in
Paul Seawright
Friday 25th May 1973, 1988
colour type C print on aluminium
50.8 x 50.8 cm / 20 x 20 in
Paul Seawright
Beasts of Burden, 2020
Städtische Galerie Nordhorn, Germany
Paul Seawright
American Trilogy, 2018
Museum of Fine Arts, Shenyang, China
Paul Seawright
so it is, 2017
Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh, USA
Paul Seawright
Making News – Things Left Unsaid, 2014
Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris, France
Paul Seawright
Anxious Landscapes: Paul Seawright 1988-2008, 2009
Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Paul Seawright
Further: Artsists from Wales at the Venice Biennial, 2003
2020 Städtische Galerie Nordhorn
2015 National Museums Northern Ireland
2013 Imperial War Museums
Works by Gerard Byrne, Willie Doherty & Paul Seawright are included in PhotoIreland 2022, the biggest ever edition of the annual photography exhibition.
Belfast Exposed presents a solo photographic exhibition ‘Beasts of Burden’ which showcases new photographic works by Paul Seawright taken in Rwanda. This insightful exhibition will be showcased as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival 2021.
