"While the paintings are almost sculptural in the rugged density of their textures, Burns has a light touch... There’s real elegance to what he does, just as his inclination towards heightened colour doesn’t contradict the fact that he has really good colour sense. " - Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times

Hillsboro Fine Art is pleased to present new paintings and sculpture from Ireland's hottest contemporary artist, Peter Burns. This is his first solo exhibition at the gallery.

"I make paintings and sculptures in a variety of materials. The paintings have sculptural elements to them and likewise the sculptures are strongly linked to the practice of painting. I have a very tactile approach to my work. In the paintings chunks of old dried oil paint are often attached to the canvas while in other areas paint is scraped off to reveal underlying layers. In the sculpture I use ephemeral materials such as wax combined with found objects. The sculptures are often painted and relate directly to my paintings. My work up to this point has been generally small in scale although recently I have been working on a larger scale.

My concerns in my practice are based on my research into literature, art history, myth and allegory. In the paintings people are shown in relation to nature and the universe. Small figures and animals exist and roam in painted worlds. These works are playful re-workings of romantic themes with allusions to faraway places. My research and influences range from art history, Delacroix and Medardo Rosso to contemporary artists such as Merlin James, Verne Dawson and Tjibbe Hooghiemstra." - Peter Burns