Farhad Nargol-O'Neill
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Abridged
Education
BA Fine Arts (Music), York University, Toronto, Canada, 1991.
Commissions
2007: “Corpus et Spiritus”. Catholic Education Centre. Patron: Metrus Inc. Aurora, Ontario. Canada.
2007: “Life of St. Elizabeth”. St. Elizabeth Academy for the Arts. Vaughan, Ontario. Canada.
2007: “Life of St. Elizabeth”. St. Elizabeth Academy for the Arts. Vaughan, Ontario. Canada.
2006: “Stations of the Cross (Divine Love). Holy Cross Catholic Academy. Woodbridge, Ontario. Canada.
2006: “Expulsion from the Garden”. Commissioned by the Township of Markham, Ontario. Canada.
2005: “Biographical Construction”. Commissioned by the Township of Markham, Ontario. Canada.
2005: “Balancing on Three Points”. Mural commission: British Council, BG Tunisia. British Council Office, Tunisia.
2005: “Ode to Aphrodite and Hala Sultan”. Mural commission: British Council (Cyprus), the BHC (Cyprus). Cyprus.
2004: “Constructing the Past”. Mural commission: British Council (Belfast and Cyprus), and ETEK. Nicosia, Cyprus.
2003: “Carriage Failte”. Commission: Groundwork N.I., Turf Lodge Residents Association, and the USDT.
2003: “Carriage Maireaghd”. Sculpture commission: Groundwork N.I., Ait na Mona Residents Association. Ireland.
2002: “Freedom Restrained”. Commissioned for the Falls Women’s Centre. West Belfast, Ireland.
2002: “The Birth of Kells”. Public sculpture. An Culturlann Irish Language Cultural Centre. Belfast, Ireland.
2001: “Herald of Jericho”. Public sculpture commission: Upper Springfield Development Trust. USDT building. Ireland.
2000: “Bedu Bride I,II,Flying Carpet”. Sculptures commission: Government of Jordan, EXPO 2000. Hanover, Germany
2000: “Basian Garden”. Private commission. Stately residence. Collaboration with designer Bruce Munro. Barbados.
2000: “Basian Sky Garden”. Stately residence. Collaboration with designer Bruce Munro. Barbados.
1999: “Standing Guard”. Sculpture commission: Groundwork N.I. for Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena, Ireland.
Solo and Group Exhibitions
2005-2007: Numerous group exhibitions at the Canadian Sculpture Centre (SSC), and the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. Canada.
2005: Solo exhibition. “Memory-Impressions of a City”. Sponsored by the British Council (Cyprus), and the BHC (Cyprus).
2004: Solo exhibition: “Memory-Impressions of a City”. Space Gallery, West Belfast, Ireland.
2004: Solo exhibition. “Ogham-Variations on a Theme”. Gerard Dillon Gallery, An Culturlann, West Belfast, Ireland.
2004: Book Launch. “Inferno”. Launch of an illustrated version of the Inferno (Dante Alighieri). Linenhall Library, Belfast, Ireland.
2002: Solo exhibition. “Impressions of the Inferno”. Gerard Dillon Gallery, An Culturlann, West Belfast, Ireland.
2002: Solo exhibition. “Construction/Deconstruction of Religious Imagery in Kerala and Tamil Nadu”. Gerard Dillon Gallery, Belfast.
2002: Solo exhibition. “A Tale of Three Houses”. Painting and drawing exhibition. Belfast Waterfront Hall, Belfast, Ireland.
2001: Solo exhibition. “Art on the Scrap heap”. Space Gallery, West Belfast, Ireland.
2001: Group exhibition. Conway Artists Collective. Space Gallery, Belfast. Ireland.
1995 – 2001: Numerous small group and solo exhibitions in the Space Gallery and other galleries in Ireland.
1994: Solo exhibition. Sculpture. McKay House Gallery, Main Street Unionville. Canada.
Awards and Grants
2007. Awarded major sculpture commission to create the “Corpus et Spiritus” sculpture for the Catholic Education Centre. Aurora, Ontario.
2005: Awarded full sponsorship by the British Council (Tunisia) and British Gas (Tunisia) to complete a mural for the 2005: Commissioned by British Council, British High Commission, Municipality of Nicosia, and Turkcell.
2005-2006: Awarded after competition to be Community Artist, representing Markham Communities in Bloom Festival. Markham, Canada.
2005: Awarded full sponsorship by the British Council and the British High Commission (Cyprus) to exhibit with English artist Jane Walker. Cyprus.
2005: Awarded full sponsorship by the British Council and British High Commission (Cyprus) for a mural commission in Turkish occupied quarter of Nicosia. Cyprus.
2003: Winner of the 2003 British Council (Belfast) Mural Competition to create a public mural in 2004. Nicosia, Cyprus.
2003: Winner of the Individual Arts Award from the Arts Council of N. Ireland, for solo exhibition in Belfast in 2004. Belfast, Ireland.
2002: Winner of the “New Works” award funding from the Arts Council of the Northern Ireland for sculpture entitled “Freedom Restrained?” for the Falls Women’s Centre. West Belfast, Ireland.
2001: Awarded travel grant from the British Council for sculpture residency at the Chitraniketan Art Residency. Kovolam, Kerala, India.
2001: Awarded travel grant from the Arts Council of the North of Ireland for sculpture residency at the Chitraniketan Art Residency. Kovolam, Kerala, India.
2000: Awarded personal commendation for sculpture work by HRH Queen Rania al Abdullah, Royal Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for sculptures created for the EXPO 2000 Jordan Pavilion. Hanover, Germany.
Collections
2001: “Griannan of Aileach”. Sculpture on loan to Derry City Council. Millennium Forum, Derry City, Ireland.
1999: “Cuchuallain and the Morrigan”. Sculpture. Conway Mill Permanent Collection. Belfast, Ireland.
1998. “Red Hugh and the Fianna”. Sculpture. UTV (Ulster Television) Permanent Collection.
1997. “The Meeting of Red Hugh and Zarathustra”. Sculpture. Hastings Group Collection. Europa Hotel. Belfast, Ireland.
Biographical Notes
"I received my greatest schooling during my upbringing at home, where music, the visual arts, science, history, politics, language, and a love of learning were ever present. Early influences included classical Irish illumination and calligraphy, cultural and religious symbols and iconography, dance, and musical, religious, and architectural structures. Five years of excellent art history education at the secondary level complimented this early education.
My university studies focused primarily on music - graduating with a BA (Ordinary) in Fine Arts (Music). My training in sculpture consisted of some studio courses, and a basic knowledge of the workings of the tools and machines in the sculpture studio. The rest was left to me – working with found objects for the most part, and being exposed to art and the critical thinking that was then (and still is) in fashion in many fine arts colleges.
Life after graduation saw extensive travel - visiting all the major European galleries and being singularly impressed by the work of Rodin, Bourdelle, Claudel, the modernist artists, and the freedoms they gained. Teaching the piano and selling my work gave me the means by which I could set up a sculptural practice. In 1995 I moved to Ireland and my first studio was opened in that autumn in Belfast, Ireland. Since that time, I have survived as a working artist, solely dependant upon my art.
During my ten years in Ireland, I exhibited widely, had works purchased for public/private collections, and received commissions for public murals and sculptures in many countries. I survived as an artist and co-founded the SPACE gallery in Belfast during a rough but wonderful and historic period. I traveled to Europe, India, Arabia, and Africa – working on public commissions or attending art residencies. I was commended by the Queen of Jordan for my sculptures. I published my own illustrated Inferno (Dante), and I was the house blues pianist for an Irish language theatre company on the Falls Road.
In 2004 saw a return to Canada, where I resumed my artistic practice. I continue to exhibit and work on commissioned pieces both here and abroad”.
