Farhad O’Neill -
Visual Artist

Curriculum Vitae

Farhad O’Neill, Visual Artist

Artist Statement

“The practice and growth of my Art has been informed by many and varied influences, not only by the visual but also by the unseen, the interior, the inexpressible, and the musical. I include my spirituality, mnemonics, a mixed Irish/Zoroastrian parentage, knowledge of justice and community, music, and observations regarding the relationship between object and place. I believe that all of these things find their truest representation, in a sort of reverse Platonic fashion, in the physicality of created Art. Art, therefore, is for myself the means by which all those things that exist in human nature and the natural world find their truest expression”.

Commissions

1995 - 2018

Numerous private sculptures, painting, and drawing commissions. Almost all of these works belong in private collections in Canada and Ireland.

See Sculptures, and Drawings and Illustrations.

2014 - 2018/19

Marian Doors Commission for St. Michaels Cathedral Basilica. Commissioned by the Archdiocese of Toronto to create two bronze gilded double doors for the north and south transept of the renovated Cathedral to show the entirety of the Rosary in sculptural bas-relief. Link to a video by Concrete Pictures of the beginning of the commission: https://vimeo.com/147828546

2013

Feminine Character of the Unconscious. Private stone sculpture commission. Toronto, Canada.

Drawing commission of automatic writing on lambskin/illuminated manuscript to “Suite for Piano” by Canadian composer/pianist William Westcott. Private commission.

2012

O’Keefe/H Manuscript. Automatic writing on lambskin/illuminated manuscript commission. Private commission. Toronto, Canada.

Automatic writing to T. Monk. Private drawing commission of automatic writing on lambskin. Toronto, Canada.

2007

Corpus et Spiritus. Major sculpture commission for the Catholic Education Centre (YCDSB). Patron: Metrus Inc. Aurora, Ontario. Canada.

The Life of St. Elizabeth. Bas-relief sculpture created in conjunction with the students of and for St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy for the Arts. Vaughan, Ontario. Canada.

2005-6

Stations of the Cross (Divine Love). Bas-relief sculpture created in conjunction with the students off and for Holy Cross Catholic Academy. Woodbridge, Ontario. Canada.

Expulsion from the Garden (Environmental Installation). Installation created alongside other installations (which I managed) created by top art students from Unionville High School for the Artist. Commissioned by the Township of Markham, Ontario. Canada, for the Markham Blooms Community Festival.

Biographical Construction. Two-piece stone (permanent) and hanging polystyrene (temporary) installation commissioned by the Township of Markham, Ontario. Canada for the Markham Community in Bloom Festival.

Balancing on Three Points. Mural commission: British Council, BG Tunisia. British Council Office, Tunisia. See Radio interview with Tunis International Radio for more.

Ode to Aphrodite and Hala Sultan. Mural commission: British Council (Cyprus), the BHC (Cyprus). Cyprus. See Ode to Aphrodite under Videos for more.

2004

Constructing the Past. Mural commission: British Council (Belfast and Cyprus), and ETEK. Nicosia, Cyprus. See Nicosia video for more.

Carriage na Gailge. Stone sculpture commission sponsored by the USDT and the Turf Lodge Residents Association. Completed and installed by since removed. Pity, it would make a lovely mass rock.

2003

Carriage Failte. Sculpture commission: Groundwork N.I., Turf Lodge Residents Association, and the USDT.

Carriage Mairead. Sculpture commission: Groundwork N.I., Ait na Mona Residents Association. Ireland.

2002

Freedom Restrained? Commissioned for the Falls Women’s Centre. West Belfast, Ireland. Supported by the New Works program by the ACNI. Link: http://www.farhadsculpture.com/PublicWorks/Freedom.htm

The Birth of Kells. Sculpture donated to An Culturlann Irish Language Cultural Centre. Belfast, Ireland.

2001

The Herald of Jericho. Public sculpture commission: Upper Springfield Development Trust. USDT building. Ireland.

An Duanaire, Poems of the Dispossessed. The Blackbird and the Bell. Private commission by Eamonn O’Faigain.

2000

Bedu Bride I, II, Flying Carpet. Sculpture commission: Government of Jordan, EXPO 2000. Hanover, Germany. My work on this commission was recognized by HRH Queen Rani al Abullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Basian Garden. Screen sculpture commission. Stately residence. Collaboration with designer Bruce Munro. Barbados. See Videos of my making screen sculptures in the Conway Mill studio.

Basian Sky Garden. Stately residence. Collaboration with designer Bruce Munro. Barbados. See Videos of my making screen sculptures in the Conway Mill studio.

1999

Screen sculpture commission for the Belfast Indian Cultural Centre, Crumlin Road.

Standing Guard. Public sculpture commission: Groundwork N.I. for Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena, Ireland.

1998

Screen sculptures for the Song of America Cruise Liner. Link: http://www.farhadsculpture.com/PublicWorks/American_Sculptures.htm

Exhibitions

• 2005-16 Group exhibitions at the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto.
• 2006-18 Numerous studio shows in Richmondhill, and Toronto.
• 2012 “SIXIS”. Group exhibition at the Papermill Art Gallery, Todmorden Mills, Toronto, Canada.
• 2011 Performance of automatic writing projections with Redxdown. Arts & Letters Club. See Live automatic writing projections by Farhad with Redxdown (1/2)
• 2011 Performance with the Canadian Electronic Ensemble. Arts and Letters Club.
• 2010 Group exhibition “Fully Present” at Gallery U111. Curator and artist.
• 2010 Solo exhibition “Animas Res - Soul Objects” at the Eleanor Winters Art Gallery, York - University.
• 2010 Solo exhibition “Devotion Moderna” at Regis College, U of T.
• 2009 Solo exhibition at the Newman Centre, U of T.
• 2008 Solo exhibition at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto.
• 2008 Group Exhibition. Centenary Exhibition of members of the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto. Varley Gallery, Unionville.
• 2005-07 Numerous group exhibitions at the Canadian Sculpture Centre (SSC) such as New Members show, East/West, Sculpture Mix IX, Thought Mass, Joy!, Eye Candy, and the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto. Canada.
• 2007 “Prodigal Son”. Solo exhibition of paintings at the Eleanor Winters Gallery, York University, Toronto.
• 2006 Group exhibition between members of the Rochester Art Club and the Arts & Letters Club of Toronto “First International Exhibition” at The Arts and Cultural Gallery of Greater Rochester Gallery.
• 2005 Solo exhibition. Opposites Attract. Sponsored by the British Council (Cyprus), and the BHC (Cyprus). See videos featuring Opposites Attract
• 2004 Solo exhibition. Impressions of a City. Space Gallery, Conway Mill, West Belfast, Ireland.
• 2004 Book Launch. Launch of an illustrated version of the Inferno (Dante Alighieri). Linenhall Library, Belfast, Ireland. Supported by the Upper Springfield Development Trust and Eilis Creen and Deirdre Mackel and the Linenhall Library.
• 2003 Solo exhibition. Construction/Deconstruction of Religious Imagery in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Culturlann, upper room Gallery, Belfast.
• 2002 Solo exhibition. A Tale of Three Houses. Belfast Waterfront Hall, Belfast, Ireland.
• 2001 Solo exhibition. Art on the Scrap Heap. Group exhibition. Space Gallery, West Belfast, Ireland.
• 2001 Solo Exhibition of painting and drawings. LEDU office, Belfast.
• 2001 Group exhibition. Conway Artists Collective. Space Gallery, Belfast. Ireland.
• 2000 Solo exhibition. Impressions of the Inferno. Also on exhibit “Memory Palace” bas-relief series. Upper Room Gallery, An Culturlann, West Belfast, Ireland. Supported by Eilis Creen and Deirdre Mackel of the USDT.
• 1999 Conway Artists Collective. Group exhibition. Space Gallery, Belfast, Ireland.
• 1996 Solo exhibition of screen sculptures. Peacock Gallery, Craigavon, Ireland.
• 1996 Solo exhibition of screen sculptures and decorative lighting pieces. Gallery Restaurant, Europa Hotel, Belfast.
• 1996-2005 Numerous group and solo exhibitions in the Space Gallery.
• 1995 Belfast Young Contemporaries. One Oxford Street Gallery.
• 1995-98 Extensive metal craftwork - making metal objects d’art, candelabras, furniture, and other craft items for sale in craft shops and at craft fairs in Ireland.
• 1994 First Solo exhibition. Sculpture. McKay House Gallery, Main Street Unionville. Canada.
• 1988-9 IDA Gallery, Fine Arts Building, York University. Group exhibition. Visual arts class group show.

Awards, Grants, and Collections

• 2014 The bas-relief “Hao-Title Image”. Arts & Letters Club of Toronto Permanent Collection. Toronto, Canada.
• 2011 R.A.V.E. award for public art from the City of Vaughan.
• 2007 Major sculpture commission to create the Corpus et Spiritus sculpture for the Catholic Education Centre. Aurora, Ontario.

• 2005 British Council full sponsorship(Tunisia) and British Gas (Tunisia) to complete a mural. Commissioned by British Council, British High Commission, Municipality of Nicosia, and Turkcell.

  • Community Artist, representing Markham Communities in Bloom Festival. Markham, Canada.
  • British Council and the British High Commission (Cyprus) full sponsorship to exhibit with English artist Jane Walker. Cyprus.
  • British Council and British High Commission (Cyprus) full sponsorship for a mural commission in Turkish occupied quarter of Nicosia. Cyprus.
• 2003 Winner of the 2003 British Council (Belfast) Mural Competition to create a public mural in Nicosia, Cyprus.
• 2003 Winner of the Individual Arts Award from the Arts Council of N. Ireland, for a solo exhibition in Belfast in 2004. Belfast, Ireland.
• 2002 Winner of the New Works funding from the Arts Council for the North of Ireland for sculpture entitled Freedom Restrained? for the Falls Women’s Centre. West Belfast, Ireland.
• 2001 Arts Council of the North of Ireland travel grant award for sculpture residency at the Chitraniketan Art Residency. Kovolam, Kerala, India.
• 2001 Donation. The Birth of Kells screen sculpture. An Culturlann. Permanent Collection.
• 2000 Awarded personal commendation for sculpture work by HRH Queen Rania al Abdullah, Royal Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for sculptures created for the EXPO 2000 Jordan Pavilion. Hanover, Germany.
• 2011 Original carving of Corpus et Spiritus taken by the York Catholic Board of Education under director Susan LaRosa.
• 2011 Station of the Cross. Station XII purchased by St. Patrick’s Church, McCaul Street. Toronto.
• 2001 The Grianan of Aileach. Sculpture on permanent loan to Derry City Council. Millennium Forum, Derry City, Ireland.
• 1999 Cuchuallain and the Morrigan. Sculpture for Conway Mill Permanent Collection. Belfast, Ireland.
• 1998 The Battle of Benburb. O’Neill Cultural Centre. Benburg. Donation.
• 1998 Red Hugh the Fianna. Screen Sculpture. (Ulster Television) Permanent Collection.
• 1997 The Meeting of Red Hugh and Zarathustra. Screen Sculpture. Hastings Group Collection. Europa Hotel. Belfast, Ireland.