Bequest of the estate of Patrick Hennessy and Henry Robertson Craig

The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts is delighted to announce the at Hennessy Craig Award 2022 has been awarded to Cecilia Danell.

Viewable online here.

This February will see the second Hennessy Craig exhibition showing in the RHA Dr. Tony Ryan gallery and, from which, the recipient of The Hennessy Craig Award of €20,000 will be selected.

The Hennessy Craig Award, in memory of H. Robertson Craig RHA and Patrick Hennessy RHA, was created through a generous bequest to the Academy by Henry Robertson Craig and the terms under which it is awarded are those specified in his will. The Award is open to any painter under the age of thirty-five exhibiting in the open submission section of the Academy’s Annual Exhibition. The painter must have studied at a recognised art college on the island of Ireland.

The Hennessy Craig Award is made on a biennial basis cumulating with an exhibition of short-listed artists, every two years, at which the recipient of the award will be announced.

In 2020, the Hennessy Craig jury shortlisted five eligible artists from the 190th RHA Annual Exhibition and an additional five artists have been shortlisted from the 191st RHA Annual Exhibition in 2021 and the recipient will be announced during the exhibition.

The shortlisted artists are as follows:

2020

Chanelle Walshe

Cecilia Danell

Tom McLean

Niamh Porter

Jane Rainey

2021

Eileen O’Sullivan

Ciara Roche

Fiach McGuinne

Owen de Forge

Sarah Wren Wilson

Each artist is invited to exhibit up to four new works and although considerate of the work submitted, the award will be made based on the overall practice of the artist. This exhibition will offer an unparalleled opportunity to view and for the discernible collector a chance to purchase, the very best work by some of Ireland’s most exciting young painters working today.