Brian Kennedy is an independent curator working predominantly in the craft and applied art area.
Between 2002 and 2010 he curated a series of major exhibitions for the Crafts Council of Ireland, Including “Forty Shades of Green” at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork and “Crafted Creatures” in conjunction with the Ark – Children’s Cultural Centre, Dublin. Following this, he curated the highly acclaimed exhibitions, “Material Poetry” and “Dubh – Dialogues in Black” at the American Irish Historical Society, New York.
In 2014 he curated the critically acclaimed exhibition “Vase Vessel Void” for the Oliver Sears Gallery and in 2015/16 “In Residence I & II” for the same gallery in London.
Other notable projects are Walpole’s “Crafted - Makers of Excellence” exhibitions at Somerset House, London in 2013 and at the Royal Academy, London in 2014. In 2015/16 he curated Taste - Contemporary Craft Exhibition at Art Geneva and Art Monte Carlo.
2016 also saw him return to the National Craft Gallery Ireland with “VASE, Function Reviewed” a major survey exhibition of international contemporary ceramics.
In October 2016 Kennedy was appointed Artistic Director for the TRESOR – Contemporary Craft Fair, Basel, Switzerland, which was launched in September 2017. In 2018 he curated a major exhibition ‘Dialogues Through Time’ for TRESOR, Basel, Switzerland.
Kennedy works with state agencies, museums, galleries and private collectors to develop strategies, organise exhibitions and build collections within the craft and applied art areas.
2019 Taste Contemporary,Art Geneva, Switzerland
2018 Dialogues Through Time, Basel, Switzerland
Taste Contemporary, Art Geneva, Switzerland
2017 Taste Contemporary, Art Geneva, Switzerland
Taste Contemporary, Art Monte-Carlo, Monaco
TRESOR17, Basel Switzerland
2016 In Residence II, Oliver Sears Gallery at 33 Fitzroy Sq. London, UK
Silver-The Dark Side, Goldsmiths’ Fair, London, UK
Vase : Function Reviewed, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny and Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Taste Contemporary, Art Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Taste Contemporary, Art Geneva, Switzerland
Oliver Sears Gallery at London Art Fair, UK
2015 In Residence I, Oliver Sears Gallery at 6 Fitzroy Sq. London, UK
Taste Contemporary, Art Geneva, Switzerland
Crafted, Fortnum & Mason, London, UK
The Crafted City, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK
2014 VASE : VESSEL : VOID, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Crafted - Makers of the Exceptional, Royal Academy, London. UK
Craft into Industry, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK
Feast of Silver, Fortnum & Mason, London, UK
Taste Contemporary, Blondeau & Cie, Geneva, Switzerland
2013 Craft into Industry, British Ceramic Biennial, Stoke - on -Trent, UK
model : making, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK
Roll Up Roll Up, The Ark Children's Cultural Centre, Dublin, Ireland
Crafted - Makers of the Exceptional, Somerset House, London, UK
Mad for Tea, Fortnum & Mason, London, UK
2012 domesticMATTERS, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, Uk
dubh / dialogues in black, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
dubh / dialogues in black, American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA
2010 Crafted Creatures, The Ark Children's Cultural Centre, Dublin, Ireland
MATERIALpoetry, American Irish Historical Society, New York, USA & Galway Arts Festival, Ireland
2009 Object, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland
National Craft Gallery of Ireland at Collect, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2008 National Craft Gallery of Ireland at SOFA Chicago, USA
2007 Hue, Line & Form, Contemporary Applied Arts, London, UK
Mythology,Ecology,Technology, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny & Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
National Craft Gallery of Ireland at SOFA Chicago, USA
2006 National Craft Gallery of Ireland at SOFA Chicago, USA
2005 40 Shades of Green, Glucksman Gallery Cork and tour to Dublin, Europe and USA
2002 Of Colour in Craft, National Craft Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland