Michael Byrne

Michael Byrne was a Dublin-born abstract painter and printmaker. In his youth he worked with a photographer before working as an assistant to Fergus O'Ryan, a lithography lecturer at the National College of Art. After a trip around central and Eastern Europe in 1952, Byrne exhibited at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art in 1953 and the Cavendish Gallery, Dublin in 1958. Byrne also played an active role in the foundation of Independent Artists in the 1960 and exhibited numerous works in the their second exhibition in 1961. His first solo show was held in 1966 in Los Angeles, USA. After this he began to show his abstract works and exhibited in the Independent Artists' Exhibition of 1969, as well as the opening of the Project Gallery's new premises. An Irish Times critic described his works as being akin to the 'chromatic symphonies of Albers and others of that kind…' In 1971, Byrne became a part-time lecturer at the National College of Art and Design. He continued to exhibit with the Independent Artists, as well as showing his work at the Project Arts Centre, Royal Hibernian Academy, the Setanta Gallery, the Davis Gallery and the Tara Gallery, Zurich. Michael Bynre was also a founder-director of the Black Church Print Studio where he taught screenprinting. He died suddenly at his home on 25th January 1989.

Reference: Snoddy, Theo. Dictionary of Irish Artists: 20th Century (Wolfhound Press, Dublin 1996) 46-47.