Diane Magee

Bio

Born in Youghal Co. Cork. where she now lives and works as a full-time artist. Her first exhibition in Cork in 2004 was of monochromatic watercolours based on the landscape and light of West Clare. A landscape that has resonated with her since her student days at Limerick School of Art & Design. 

As the work developed, she began to work in oil on canvas. In 2014 Diane started plein air painting in the Burren. Quickly though, the Burren became less of a destination and more of a mindset. She has been returning on a regular basis ever since, with month-long residencies in the Burren College of Art. These residencies gave her the chance to completely immerse herself in the landscape. An incredible experience, it immediately impacted her practice and will keep informing how she works. Since then she has also attended residencies in The Tyrone Guthrie Centre and Cill Railaig. 

In 2023 she was one of the artists selected by artist Nuala Clarke for a solo exhibition with Artnetdlr. This collection Winterage isn’t reality but the artist’s own multiverse, darker than her previous work, more of a dreamscape, like residual images we sometimes carry into real life in the spilt second of waking. In 2024 Kevin Kavanagh Gallery selected her as one of the ten artists from Backwater Artists Network to take part in the exhibition Field Trip at Lavit Gallery. Also that year Diane was an invited artist for the Seiz Avel exhibition which was held in the Government Buildings in Rennes, Brittany. Also in 2024 Diane was one of the artists selected for The Art Riddler Exhibition, were she won the Evans Award. 

In March 2025 she had a solo exhibition Blaze, in Signal Arts Centre, Bray, also in 2025, a group exhibition in City Assembly House, The Georgian Society, Dublin 2 and an invited artist at the inaugural exhibition of the new Linn Gallery in Clonmel. In 2026 Diane has a solo exhibition in Cnoc Buí Arts Centre, Union Hall, West Cork. 

Diane has had her work selected for various exhibitions including The Royal Hibernian Academy 189th and 191st Annual Exhibition, LHQ gallery, Lavit Gallery Cork, The Sirius Gallery Cobh, Uillinn Arts Centre, Cnoc Bui Arts Centre, The Signal Arts Centre Bray, Boyle Arts Festival, Birr Arts Festival, ArtnetDLR, dlr Lexicon, Ranelagh Arts Centre, The United Arts Club Dublin, 126 Gallery, Artlinks, Artform Annual 44 Waterford, The Courthouse Gallery and Studios Ennistymon, The Holy Art Gallery London, Ar Seiz Avel, Brittany. Her work is held in corporate and private collections both nationally and internationally. 

Artist Statement

Much of Diane’s work explores and records the landscape, the subject within the landscape, warm and cool colours and light and dark. The views which surround her daily are a direct source of inspiration which she finds endlessly fascinating and challenging. 

Initially she created abstract watercolours based on the wild landscape and light of west Clare, culminating in her first solo exhibition in Cork in 2004. As the work developed, the subject matter became more representational, the perspective more traditional and she began to work on oil on canvas. 

Diane works on a number of paintings simultaneously. She works both outdoors and in her studio where she uses field studies and photo references. She analyses plans and imagines what she wants to do in a painting. Some subjects work best as small paintings some as large. Changes that will enhance or strengthen a painting are considered and then employed to that end. 

Diane is a professional member of Visual Arts Ireland, a member of Sample Studios, Mór Artists Collective, Cnoc Buí Arts Centre, Uillinn Arts Centre, Artnetdlr, Ranelagh Arts Centre, 126 Gallery. 

Email dianemageeart@gmail.com

Website www.dianemagee.com

Instagram @diane_magee_art

Facebook @DianeMageeART

Twitter @mageediane

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/diane-magee-06420188/

Membership: Backwater Artist Network