In conversation with Muirne Kate Dineen

“…it’s more interesting when artists cross boundaries because they are driven by content not process.”

- Muirne Kate Dineen

Muirne Kate Dineen

Muirne Kate Dineen is an artist specialising in colour and surfaces. She completed her Masters and Studio PhD at the RCA, starting with textiles and printmaking before delving into more complex built surfaces.

Her extensive international travels and work, particularly in India, have greatly influenced her vibrant and occasionally unconventional use of colour. A British Council scholarship to India led to an invitation to pursue a Studio-based PhD at the RCA, focusing on introducing a traditional fresco process from Western India into contemporary art and architecture—an approach she continues to apply in her work.

Dineen frequently collaborates with architects, integrating colour as an essential element of the structure. Her fascination lies in the impact of time on colour and surface fragmentation, exploring the concept of art evolving through time.

She lives and works in London.

Can you share your journey into the arts and how it all began for you?

I’ve always loved art from a very early age.. There was never any choice … it was the inevitable option. So Art College was always going to happen ..I moved to London to live with my father as the Art colleges were better there…

How would you define your artistic style? Is there a recognisable characteristic that defines?

I think to be defined by labels can be very limiting.. it’s more interesting when artists cross boundaries because they are driven by content not process.

What themes and messages do you strive to convey in your art, and how has this evolved over time?

I can’t really define my work other that saying it’s about colour and surface and time or timelessness.I think it’s an individual interaction between you and whoever is looking at your work. I wouldn’t want to force a response but it’s communicating an emotion or excitement or a sense of wanting to engage physically with the work through colour and surface and weight 

Tell us about your upcoming exhibition, Colour & Form: Fresco, Drawings, and Sculpture, hosted at the Royal Geographical Society next month. How did this project come to fruition?

The exhibition happened because I was asked by Paul Vanstone and another artist to join them. I had previously declined in earlier years, as the site is a glass building without walks and my work is heavy and requires walls.

What inspired the pieces that will be featured in the exhibition?

The inspiration for the work has come over time from lots of different references and sources- it’s not any one theme.. there are many different references and ideas and inspirations which have been present in my work for a long time .

Have you aimed to create any specific connections or synergy between the artworks showcased in this exhibition? 

I think our work can occupy the same space naturally, without planning specific work to show together. 

What kind of experience do you hope visitors will have when they interact with your art?

I think the work is quite tactile and sensual and it’s fabulous if people respond to it on an emotional level and are excited or drawn by the colour and mark making.. if they see something in it that evokes a certain emotion for them. 

Have there been any artists, past or present, who have significantly influenced your work?

Of course there have been and still are very many artists whose work is liberating and Inspirational. Louise Bourgeois was an extraordinary and wonderful Artist, Dubuffet also, Joseph Beuys, Yves Klein…. Paul Klee, Cornelia Parker…..The list is long…..

Along your artistic journey, what has been a particularly rewarding moment for you?

There have been many rewarding moments… the possibility of making something beautiful - putting up an exhibition that makes you feel proud and is the best of you..…….Working with other people who are talented and inspiring, putting work up in the Saatchi gallery in a huge beautiful white space….

Is there a piece of advice that has profoundly impacted your artistic pursuits?

Advice is to not be scared of going wrong or making mistakes or bad work… it’s a necessary part of the process…..You have to wade through shit to get to the good stuff…

Can you share a valuable lesson you've learned about yourself, your abilities, or life in general during your career?

I think a valuable lesson, though it may sound trite, is to keep on going... To persevere, keep on keeping on, to make what you believe in and try not to compromise... It's hard because lots of practical day to day issues can throw you off course - but the key is to try and maintain your focus…

Do you have any advice for young individuals aspiring to enter the art industry?

Advice for people starting out is to be open to new ideas and people.. to try to be flexible about what you want to do.. It’s tough out there, try and take all the chances and opportunities that come your way… To say yes to things which may be out of your comfort zone - because that’s often where you learn most…

Who is Muirne Kate Dineen when you're not immersed in creating art?

When I’m not in the studio- I’m the mother to my two children who I adore… when I’m not working, I’m theirs….

Muirne Kate Dineen and Paul Vanstone collaborate in ‘Colour and Form: Sculptures, Frescoes, and Drawings,' a joint exhibition currently displayed at the Royal Geographical Society until 19 December 2023.

Instagram: @muirnekatedineen. Website: muirnekatedineen.com