On display at Cannon Hall Museum until 28 September 2025 is Formed and Reformed by Christy Keeney, an exhibition that brings together ceramics, paintings and drawings kindly loaned by international collector Dr Graham Cooley who gives an insight into his work in this article.
In the curious, captivating space between sculpture and painting lives the work of Christy Keeney, an artist who doesn’t just create objects, but personalities, conversations, moments. His figures, built from clay, feel as though they’ve been caught mid-thought. They invite you in, not just to look, but to wonder, and connect.
And now, I’m delighted to invite you to a very personal exhibition drawn from my collection of Christy Keeney’s work. This show brings together pieces chosen in collaboration with the Cannon Hall curators and includes ceramics, paintings, and drawings. It’s a rare glimpse into the evolution of a truly unique artist, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Born in Donegal in 1958, Christy was drawn to art from a young age, eventually studying ceramics and design in Letterkenny and Limerick before going on to complete his MA at the Royal College of Art in London. It was there, under the mentorship of Eduardo Paolozzi and surrounded by some of the most exciting and experimental artists of the time, that he began shaping the voice we now recognize so clearly in his work.
While in London, he encountered a major retrospective of Picasso at the Tate, a show that would prove pivotal. Particularly inspiring were Picasso’s small, folded figurines and cardboard sculptures, which opened Christy’s eyes to new ways of approaching the figure: expressive, deconstructed, emotionally direct. He also draws inspiration from Arman’s sliced violin sculptures, which he encountered in Dublin, further defining his unique vision.
That same deconstructed quality has become a hallmark of Christy’s own style. His ceramic pieces, often slab-built and painted, straddle a line between the familiar and the abstract. They’re not exactly portraits in the traditional sense. The faces are sometimes elongated, the bodies angular or incomplete. But somehow, they feel more human for it. These are works that whisper rather than shout, leaving space for viewers to fill in the gaps with their own meaning. The simplicity of form is a deliberate choice, each gesture, each line, carries weight.
After spending nearly two decades in London, Keeney eventually returned to the wild beauty of Donegal, where he now lives and works, with his wife Sarah, in a countryside studio that breathes with the same quiet intensity as his art. His return to Ireland marked not a retreat, but a re-rooting, his work deepened, both in form and range. Over the years, he has received growing recognition for his distinctive contribution to contemporary ceramics. In 1988, he was commissioned by Eduardo Paolozzi to create a portrait of the celebrated architect Richard Rogers for a show at the National Portrait Gallery in London, a significant honour, and a testament to his growing influence.
His exhibition history is extensive, with solo and group shows at top galleries in Dublin, London, and beyond. The Doorway Gallery in Dublin, where he held two solo shows “In the Picture” and “Head Count” have been a long-time champion of his work, and his sculptures have also made appearances at international art fairs such as the Affordable Art Fair in London and the Edinburgh Art Fair. Today, his work is held in private collections worldwide, and his pieces continue to attract collectors who are drawn not just to the beauty of the work, but to its honesty and emotional depth.
I’ve been collecting Christy’s ceramics for many years, and I’ve never ceased to be moved by his ability to distill the human experience into just a few lines and sculptural forms. There’s a kind of emotional shorthand in his pieces, a vulnerability and strength, humour and sadness, all coexisting within a single, seemingly simple gesture.
This exhibition is a celebration of that journey. It brings together a wide spectrum of his work, from early, exploratory pieces to more recent, masterful creations that show just how much his practice has deepened and matured over time.
Christy has this rare and remarkable gift: he doesn’t just sculpt figures; he sculpts feeling. His art doesn’t demand your attention with spectacle, it earns it with empathy. These aren’t just objects to admire, they’re invitations to reflect on ourselves.
In addition to his ceramics, Christy’s paintings deserve a spotlight of their own. They possess the same emotional immediacy as his sculptural work; expressive, gestural, and layered with meaning. His brushwork mirrors the carved lines of his clay figures, and there’s a shared language between the two mediums that feels both intuitive and intentional.
For this exhibition, I’m especially pleased to be including a number of Christy’s sketches which have never been exhibited before. These works on paper offer a rare glimpse into the genesis of his sculptural pieces, revealing the thought process, the loose, searching lines where ideas first take shape. They’re raw, intimate, and full of energy, and I think they’ll give visitors a deeper appreciation of the care and complexity behind the final works. It’s like opening a window into the artist’s mind, and for me, they’re some of the most treasured pieces in the collection.
Whether you’re a long-time collector, a student of ceramics, or someone simply curious about the kind of art that stays with you long after you’ve seen it, I truly believe this is an exhibition worth experiencing. Christy’s art doesn’t shout, but it speaks. And when it does, it says something real.
For those who are unable to see the exhibition in person, we have created a virtual tour
Barnsley Museums Blogsite 