About

Originally from England, Emma Stroude completed her studies in London at Chelsea College of Art and Design and The Slade School of Art. She moved to Ireland in 1996 and studied in NCAD before settling in Sligo where she plays an active role in the arts community.

Primarily a painter, Emma’s current practice is underpinned by a dedication to life-drawing which has a strong influence on her work. She develops source materials through collaborations with circus performers, dancers and actors.

Performance, embodiment and our ability to embrace uncertainty are key themes in her work. Recent large scale drawings and paintings have a female focus, exploring women’s potentiality, their resilience, their innate capabilities and the need to move beyond past preconceptions.

Her interest in the body extends to work in portraiture. Emma was the winner of the Irish Arts Review & Ireland US Council award for portraiture at the RHA 2021 and the recipient of the inaugural In Plain Sight commission from King’s Inns and The Bar of Ireland 2022. Most recently she was invited by the OPW to create portraits of the first four female senators elected to The Seanad for The Houses of the Oireachtas. Previous works include subject matter stemming from Irish History, emotive landscapes and a series of paintings titled ‘Colour Run’ which engage with senses of curiosity and uncertainty.

She has had 6 solo exhibitions. Her work is housed in public and private collections including OPW, Sligo County Council and Kildare County Council.