Sean Durkin

Sean Durkin’s second solo exhibition ‘Artem Fur’ was a sell-out success in 2022. The demand for Sean’s artwork is growing rapidly and so we recommend getting in touch with us with your requirements.  As Sean’s primary representative we are happy to organise any special commissions – please contact us if this is of interest.

Full of irony and narrative, Sean Durkin’s work is simultaneously playful and powerful. Now an acclaimed artist with a loyal following, Sean’s path to becoming an artist is quite the tale, further adding to the impact of his work.

In 1972, his father, John Durkin, stole and held ransom a Lowry painting of Middlesbrough Town Hall and Saint Hilda’s Church from the local art gallery. In exchange for the painting’s safe return, he demanded that the Lord Mayor raffle his underpants for charity and that the gallery be installed with a better alarm system as well as be opened on Sundays “to allow the working man to get some culture”.

Only a boy of eight at the time, Sean Durkin recalls coming downstairs the following morning to find the stolen painting on the mantelpiece. He was fascinated by the atmosphere of the painting and the ‘matchstick’ people as they scurried around the scene.  He did not realise it at the time, but the painting would have a profound effect on his life, and ultimately inspire him to become an artist himself.

Forest Gallery is honoured to be the key representing gallery in the UK for Sean Durkin, holding the artist’s first solo show in 2021 and the successive exhibition “Artem Fur” in 2022, with a third exciting instalment now planned for 2023 (get in touch to find out more).

Forest Gallery has worked closely with Sean Durkin on some impressive commissions over the years. For any special requests please get in touch with us and we will be delighted to help.