Elena Duff
About
Elena is an Irish-Spanish visual artist (and latterly musician) born in London, raised in Dublin and now based in Cavan. Her artworks have reflected her interest in the threads connecting us all to the ancient past, the entanglements of the natural world, the meditative process of creating patterns, childish surreal whimsy and aesthetically-pleasing visuals which are sometimes underpinned by a sense of unease.
Primarily a painter – with forays into sculpture, sound art and photography at various times. Elena has exhibited in Ireland, Germany and the UK as well as further afield. Recent works have explored the creation of narrative scenes of imagined worlds along with related small sculptural pieces. These created worlds are serve as a repository where a jumbled version humankind’s beliefs, superstitions, folk rituals, stories and fairytales end up together in surreal scenes that appear at once familiar and unfamiliar. Animals and nature also feature heavily due to the importance which animals and nature once had to societies (and due to Elena’s love of the natural world) and is a nod to the importance it still has today in an ecological sense. The works are also influenced by the ancient history and by the archeology and landscape of East Cavan where Elena is currently based.
Art Methodology
Current paintings (2024) are for the most part created intuitively with no pre-defined outcome in mind. Scenes are painted through the process of gradually laying down abstract shapes and forms and then exploring these with further layers until they evolve into more recognisable (yet disparate) elements within dreamlike scenes. In these works there is a nod towards Medieval imagery, Persian miniatures and illuminated manuscripts.
Sculptures are created from mixed media, natural materials are used such as stone and wood, along with found objects, man-made fibres, fabric, polymer clay and acrylic paint.
Music Practice
The past number of years have been spent focusing on the creation of music, resulting in Elena becoming a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, with studies in audio engineering and music production. She released her self-produced, recorded debut album contemporary/alt folk album ‘In the Wilderness’ in October 2023. In the same year Elena’s art practice came back in full focus in tandem with her musical pursuits.
Drawn towards both electronica and acoustic folk instruments (guitar, ukulele, banjo, dulicimer), Elena’s most recent work showcased on her debut album blends the two genres to create an album of contemporary folk songs with an experimental twist. She has also released some more hypnotic, electronica tracks with vocals under the name Vesperella.
Primarily interested in songwriting and the nuts and bolts of music production, future musical plans include releasing a pared-down acoustic version of In the Wilderness and a second album of songs with further experimentation with blending electronic and acoustic sounds, as well as broadening out the worlds in her visual art practice with sound art pieces. Future plans include using these technical audio skills to further explore sound art in relation to her present works.
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ELENA DUFF
Born London, UK 1972
EDUCATION:
Joint degree in Fine Art & the History of Art at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin (BA hons.) 1991 – 1995
Solo Exhibitions
2025 Solo Show, Eden Gallery Cavan County Museum
2016 ‘No Time to Leave Important Words Unsaid.’ Bailieborough Library, Cavan.
2014 ‘Me and my Shadow’, Toradh Gallery, Ashbourne, Meath
2011 ‘My Fairytale Life’ Alice Gryphius Kunstraum, Berlin
2007 ‘Intricate Seductions’, Monstertuck Gallery, Dublin.
Group Exhibitions
2024
August Knockbride an Artist’s Response, Bailieborough Library
2023
Calling in the Winter, Johnson Library, Cavan Town.
2020
Artwork creation and exhibition for Poetry Town (by Poetry Ireland) Bailieborough
2019
A Cavan Convergeance. PEACE IV project, Townhall Cavan
2017
Ancient and Wild’ Johnson Library, Cavan
Windows Writers and Artists 26th Anniversay Edition Johnson library, Cavan.
2016
1916 Sackville Street, Remembering 262 Civilians Through Art.
2015 ‘
Gezeichnet fürs Leben’ Sammlung Schirm (Schirm Art Collection), Galerie Root, Berlin.
Response to Beauty, Mullagh, Cavan
2014
Chimera Gallery, Mullingar
Response to Beauty, Trinity House, Cavan Town.
Vanishing Art Sculpture exhibition Carton House, Maynooth
‘Connections 5’ – three-person exhibition, Courtyard Gallery, Bristol
‘Wet’ Hive Emerging, Waterford
2013
Intercultural Winter Arts Exhibition, Centre for Creative Practices, 15 Pembroke Street, Dublin 2
Windows Publications & National Student Poetry Awards, Cavan.
Two-person exhibition with James Brady, Backstage Gallery, Longford
2012
Rotebete Gallery, Berlin, artworks in various Berlin venues.
‘Freak Show’ group exhibition, Berlin
2009
Windows Publications, Authors & Artists No. 9 Cavan, Ireland.
Tease Art Fair, Cologne, Germany March:
‘Drawing Eire’ 411 Galleries Shanghai, China February:
‘Mix the Amalgamation’ Turn-Berlin, Germany January:
‘On the Bounce’ Turn-Berlin, Germany
2008
‘Kristall Clear’, Turn-Berlin, Berlin, Germany
‘Tape Modern number 3‘ Tape Club Heidestr. 14 Berlin
Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland
‘Is Mise Ireland’, 411 Galleries, Shanghai, China
Central Bank, Dublin, Ireland Access to Arts Gallery
2007
The BIG Store, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin
White Sight, Hazel Williams Gallery, Kilkenny
Down the Line, Crow Gallery Temple Bar, Dublin
BT2 Art, Dublin
St-Art exhibition Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin
Loft Gallery, Dublin
2006
Monstertruck Gallery, Dublin
‘Treat’ Talbot Gallery, Dublin
RDS Art Fair, Dublin
1993 – 2000
Ballinahinch Castle, Co. Galway
‘Absolut Pavement Art’, Temple Bar, Dublin, Ireland
‘Absolut Secret’, group show, RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
‘A Rainy Season’, group show, The Jo Rain Gallery (Kevin Kavanagh curator), Temple Bar, Dublin
Venice Biennale ‘Outpost’, group exhibition, Venice, Italy
N.C.A.D. Degree exhibition, group show, RHA Gallagher Gallery, Dublin,
‘Open Access’, The Crypt, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland
‘Arnotts National Portrait Award Exhibition’, Dublin Ireland.
16″ X 12″, The Pantheon Gallery, Dublin
‘Arnotts National Portrait Award Exhibition’, Dublin, Ireland.
AWARDS | GRANTS | RESIDENCIES
2023 Townhall Cavan Studio Award (to take place in 2024)
2020 Residency Award Arts Council of Ireland, Lakkos Project, Greece
2016 Residency Lakkos Project, Greece
2007 Arts Council Visual Artist Bursary Award
PUBLICATIONS
2012 and 2017
Windows Publications, ‘Authors & Artists Introduction Series′. 20 year anniversary edition and 25th edition. Edited by Heather Brett and Noel Monaghan.
2016
Villeroy & Boch feature in Trade Magazine | Pank Magazine 7 cover and interior
2011
Poetry Bus, Boyne Berries Autumn Edition
2009
Drawing Eire, 411 Galleries (Catalogue)
Windows Publications, ‘Authors & Artists No. 9, Introduction Series No. 9′. Edited by Heather Brett and Noel Monaghan.
2008
Is Mise Ireland, 411 Galleries (Catalogue)
Hekmag– Arts, Fashion & Design Magazine, Germany
MEDIA APPEARANCES
November 2007: Newstalk 106-108, Culture Shock, interview with Fionn Davenport
April 2007: Nationwide, RTE Television, interview regarding emerging art in Ireland.