Colin Watson lives and works in Belfast. He has held seven solo exhibitions in London, at the Pym’s Gallery, Simon Dickinson Fine Art and at John Martin Gallery, as well as in Dublin, Northern Ireland and Morocco. In October 2008, Colin was invited by HRH The Prince of Wales to accompany him on the Royal Tour of Japan, Brunei and Indonesia, as his official Tour Artist.
Colin Watson has exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, the Royal Ulster Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy, winning awards at the latter two including two gold medals at the Royal Ulster Academy , one awarded by the President of the Royal Academy, Sir Christopher Le Brun. He was also awarded the Ireland Fund of Great Britain Annual Arts Award in 1999. His work has been included in the BP Portrait Prize Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibitions and at the Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries in London.
Colin Watson’s work is held in collections worldwide, including the Royal Collection and those of His Majesty King Charles III, Her Majesty Queen Consort, the King of Morocco. He is also represented in a number of public collections, including the Ulster Museum, Moroccan Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Arts Council for Northern Ireland, the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, Limerick and the Royal Geographical Society, London with a portrait of Sir Wilfred Thesiger, the British explorer and travel writer.
Biography
b. 1966, Beflast
Education
University of Ulster, BA Fine Art.
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Sojourns, McKenna Gallery, Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Wanderers, Katie Lindsay Gallery, County Down, Northern Ireland
2021 Journeys, Katie Lindsay Gallery, County Down, Northern Ireland
2017 The Presence, John Martin Gallery, London
2014 Threshold, John Martin Gallery, London
2013 The Forest, Dickon Hall Ltd, Belfast
2011 New Paintings and Drawings, Dickon Hall Ltd, Belfast
2010 Lawrence-Arnott Gallery, Marrakech
2009 Journey to the East, Simon Dickinson, London
Journey to the East, AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
2008 Jorgensen Fine Art, Dublin
2007 Lawrence-Arnott Gallery, Marrakech, Lawrence- Arnott Gallery, Tangier
2006 Light from Two Worlds, Pyms Gallery, London
2003 Intimate Interiors, Silent Landscapes, Pyms Gallery, London
2001 The Sensuality of the Shade, Pyms Gallery, London
2000 Paintings of Mood and Place, Pyms Gallery, London.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2023 Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
La Roche House, Belfast
McKenna Gallery, Omagh
2022 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Two Irish Painters in Morocco, Medina Gallery, Tangier, Morocco
2021 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2020 Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2019 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
2018 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Summer Exhibition, John Martin Gallery, London
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
2017 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast Solomon Gallery, Dublin
2016 Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, London
Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2015 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London
Spring Masters Art Fair, The Armory New York, represented by John Martin Gallery
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Dickon Hall, Belfast
Anna Cheyne Visual Art Award, Island Arts Centre, Lisburn
2014 Royal Society of Portrait Painters, London
John Martin Gallery, London
Dickon Hall, Belfast
Jorgensen Fine Art, Dublin
2013 Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2012 Jorgensen Fine art, DublinRoyal Ulster Academy, Belfast
2011 Dickon Hall Ltd, Belfast
2010 Jorgensen Fine art, Dublin
Dickon Hall Ltd, Belfast
2009 Dickon Hall Ltd, Belfast
2008 AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
2007 AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, BelfastBoyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
Double Image, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
2006 AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Boyle Arts Festival, Boyle, Republic of Ireland
2005 Lawrence-Arnott Gallery, Marrakech
Lawrence-Arnott Gallery, Tangier
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
2004 Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
2003 Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Arcadia Fine Art, New York
AVA Gallery, Clandeboye, Northern Ireland
2001 Royal Ulster Academy, BelfastArcadia Fine Art, New York
2000 Arcadia Fine Art, New York
1999 Albemarle Gallery, London
Arcadia Fine Art, New York
Elaine Somers Gallery, Hollywood, Northern Ireland
1998 The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Gallery Revel, New York
1997 BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
Royal Academy of Arts, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
Gallery Revel, New York
1996 Cavehill Gallery, Belfast
1995 BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
1994 BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
Royal Academy of Arts, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
1993 Royal Academy of Arts, London
Royal Ulster Academy, Belfast
1992 One Oxford Street, Belfast
1991 BP Portrait Exhibition, National Portrait Gallery, London
Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
1988 Otter Gallery, Belfast.
Awards
2024 Royal Ulster Academy, Hambly and Hambly French Residency Award
2020 Royal Ulster Academy, Gold Medal
2018 Royal Ulster Academy, Paul Henry Landscape Award
2017 Elected Academician, Royal Ulster Academy
2016 Royal Ulster Academy, Gold Medal
2015 Royal Ulster Academy, Connor Prize,
Anna Cheyne Visual Art Award
2012 Elected Associate Member of the Royal Ulster Academy
2007 Royal Ulster Academy, Silver Medal
2006 Royal Ulster Academy, Connor Prize
2003 Royal Hibernian Academy, Don Niccolo d’Ardia Caracciolo Medal and Award
2002 Royal Hibernian Academy, De Veres Award
Royal Ulster Academy Visitors Award
1999 Ireland Fund of Great Britain Annual Arts Award, London.
Collections
Royal Collection, London
His Majesty King Charles III
Her Majesty Queen Consort
His Majesty King Mohamed VI, Rabat, Morocco
Ulster Museum
Moroccan Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art , Musée du Patrimoine Amazigh d'Agadir'.
Portrait of Sir Wilfred Thesiger, Royal Geographical Society, London
National Self Portrait Collection of Ireland, Limerick University
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Government Collection, Northern Ireland
Lisburn city council
Private Collections, USA, China, Morocco, Italy, UK, and Ireland.
Publications
The Star of Bethlehem, David Collins, Illustrated with 9 ink drawings, Amberley Publishing, 2012
The Poets’ Wives, David Park, Illustrated with 3 ink Drawings, Bloomsbury, 2014.