Credo

"Continuity of tradition runs as a pulse through my work and the methods I employ in its creation. Early Irish literature, traditional boats, archaeological artifacts and Bronze-Age metalwork techniques all find a way into my sculptures, drawings and lithographs. For me all of these hold the key to creating contemporary work with a social and sustainable ethos based on age-old ways."

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Résumé

Holger C. Lönze is an established bronze sculptor based near Ballydehob, Co. Cork. Since moving to Ireland in 1995, he has widely exhibited in Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and the UK. He has worked on sculpture commissions for the public domain for more than twelve years.

Born in Schmallenberg, Germany in 1968, Holger trained as a furniture maker before studying architecture in Detmold where he became assistant to the sculptor Axel Seyler. At the University of Ulster in Belfast he studied lithography and sculpture, completing a PhD on visual perception and time in art. As a researcher in environmental design for The Eden Project and Falmouth College of Arts, Cornwall he further pursued his interests in craft materials. Together with Niall O'Neil and Antony Lyons, Holger is member of Deiseal, working on public sculpture commissions. He also collaborates with the Florence-based architects Federico Curletto and Paolo Lucatini (Skulptark) on architecture projects. Holger is a member of the Umha Aois experimental archaeology group and a professional member of the Crafts Council of Ireland and Visual Artists Ireland.

Exhibitions and Commissions | Residencies and Academic Work

Exhibitions and Commissions

One and Two Person Shows

  2008     Bronze and Concrete, Glór Gallery, Ennis  (two)
  2007     Beyond the Littoral, Antrim
  2007     Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen
  2007     An Lorg Brain, Glór Gallery, Ennis (two)
  2005     Cavan Co. Museum, Ballyjamesduff
  2004     Particia Smart Gallery, Penzance
  2002     Rood Gallery, Bristol
  1999     The Engineroom Gallery, Belfast
  1998     Ards Art Centre, Newtownards
  1998     Bonnies, Belfast (two)

 

Selected Group Exhibitions

  2011      Ré Nua, Artistic Alliance, Ballymaloe House, Co. Cork(s), (c)
  2011      Home, Away, Common Ground, National Museum of Kenya, Nairobi (s), (c)
  2006      Works on Paper, Glór Gallery, Ennis (s)
  2005      The Caught Bouquet, Cavan (s), (c)
  2004      Voicing Dissent, Falmouth Arts Centre, (s), (c)
  2004      Design (R)evolution, The Eden Project  (s), (c)
  2001      Linenhall Gallery, Belfast
  2001      Grandes et Jeunes d'Aujourd Hui, Paris, (s), (c)
  2001      From Ritual to Romance, Catalyst Arts, Belfast, (s)
  2001      Art Garden, Bristol
  2000      State-of-the-art, Engineroom Gallery, Belfast, (s), (c)
  2000      Art Garden, Bristol
  2000      Phoenix Gallery, Belfast, (s)
  2000      Consequence, Engineroom Gallery, Belfast, (s)
  1999      Stable Gallery, Roundstone, Connemara
  1999      Centro del Arte Verrocchio, Casole d’Elsa
  1999      Iontas, Small Works Exhibition, Limerick, Dublin, Belfast, (s)
  1999      Barn Gallery, Hillsborough (c)
  1998      Iontas, Small Works Exhibition, Sligo, Dublin, Belfast, (s), (c)
  1998      Ulster Hospital, Dundonald
  1998      Happenstance, Engine Room Gallery, Belfast, (s), (c)
  1998      Emer Gallery, Belfast, (s)


                 (s) indicates curated exhibition, (c) catalogued exhibitions



Collections

Work in private collections in Germany, Ireland, Britain and USA and in public and corporate collections in Ireland and Britain, including Heinrich Böll Cottage, Achill; Cavan County Council; UCD, Dublin and several UK Council collections.



Public Sculpture

  2011      Public sculpture for Coalisland Library to commemorate Jim Canning
  2011      Public sculpture for Causeway Hospital, Coleraine; Artscare
  2011      Shortlisted for Ribble Link public art commission, Lancashire
  2011      Shortlisted for Scotswood Village Green commission, Newcastle upon Tyne
  2011      Public sculpture for Iontas Theatre, Castleblaney
  2011      Public sculpture for Portrush East Strand (Information Page)
  2010      Public sculpture for Maghery, Co. Armagh (Information Page)
  2010      Shortlisted for Ballycastle/Rathlin commission
  2010      Shortlisted for Newcastle West sculpture commission
  2010      Public sculpture commission for Armagh City (Information Page)
  2010      Shortlisted for Newry, Ballybot commission
  2010      Shortlisted for Belfast City Hall artwork
  2010      Shortlisted for Newry Historic Canal feature sculpture
  2009      Shortlisted for An Nasc commission, Belfast (with Deiseal)
  2008      Shortlisted for N8 Mitchelstown Bypass (with Deiseal)
  2008      Public sculptures for Oxford Island National Nature Reserve
  2008      Public sculpture commission for Lough Gur (with Deiseal)
  2006      Public sculpture for Kinnego Marina, Co. Armagh
  2005      Public sculpture for Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan
  2003      City Neighbourhoods perpetual award trophy, Dublin
  2003      Shortlisted for public art commission at the Hurst, Shropshire
  2001      Shortlisted for public art commission in Navan, Co. Meath
  1998      Trophies for Cinemagic film awards, Belfast
  1998      Shortlisted for public sculpture commission in Irvinestown

For more information visit the Public Art page.



Publications and Press

'About: Holger Lonze', Craft NI and Perspective magazine, October 2011(Read)
'Holger Lonze', RTÉ Radio 1 Culture File by Eleanor Flegg, Sept. 2011
'Making the Bronze Age' TAG 2010 Session Review, PAST, Prehistoric Society (Read)
Continuing the Bronze Age, paper for TAG 2010, Bristol archaeology conference
Your Place and Mine, BBC Radio Ulster, April 2010
Artists Newsletter [a-n], December 2009
Nicholas Crane’s Brittania
, BBC television (Tern TV), January/December 2009
Hidden Heritage, UTV, by Brian Black, March 2009
Traditional Boats of Ireland, ed. Críostóir Mac Cárthaigh, Collins, 2008
BBC Newsline, November 2007, by Gordon Adair  
A Humble Skiff, Resurgence, Nov./Dec. 2005
The Caught Bouquet, Heater Brett (ed.), Nov. 2005
Through Time and Tide, exhibition catalogue, October 2005
Belfast Telegraph; August 2005. Article on currachs by Debroah Dundas
RTÉ 1 Nationwide programme. Sept. 2005; Tom Sweeney
Seascapes, Sept. 2005 by the same presenter
The Visual Artist’s News Sheet, Issue 1, 2005; article on bronze work
The Poetry of Materials, Eden Friends magazine, March 2004
Shed Men, Gareth Jones, Wordwell, London, 2004
Eco-Design Handbook, ed. 2004, section on currachs
Design (R)evolution, CD-ROM resource, The Eden Project, 2004
Water Craft; No. 53, Sept./Oct. 2004; Grow your own boat; Steve Graham
Setting Sail in Baskets, British Basketmaker’s Society Newsletter, July 2003
Baskets in the Ocean, Westcountry Woodsmen newsletter, August 2003


Awards

Arts Council of Ireland Travel Award, 2011
Arts Council of Northern Ireland SIAP Award, 2006/7, 2008/9
Travel awards of Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft 1997 and 1998
Janet Konstam Award for research into sculpture in Italy, 1999
Aer Lingus Art Flights, 1999, 2001

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Residencies and Academic Work

Residencies and Academic Work

2011                 Residency, Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry
2011                 Residency, Nyeri, Kenya
since 2008       Residency with Wildworks, Cornwall
2008-2010      Artist in Residence, Fermanagh Borough Council
2006-2008      Artist in Residence, Craigavon Borough Council
2004-2008      Lead Artist, Art in the Wetlands sculpture project
2005                 Founded Lough Neagh Boating Heritage Association
2005                 Artist in Residence at the Heinrich Böll Cottage, Achill
2004-2006      Artist in Residence, Cavan County Council
2002-2004      Research Assistant, The Eden Project/Falmouth College of Art
2001                 Year of the Artist Residency, Ards Borough Council
1999                 Residency, Verocchio Centre, Tuscany, Juliet Gomperts Trust
1999                 Artist in Residence, Roundstone Arts Week, Connemara
1997-2002      Visiting lecturer, University of Ulster, Belfast

 

Education

1998-2004      PhD, University of Ulster, Belfast (research page)     
1997-1998      PG Dip. Applied Art, University of Ulster, Belfast
1995-1997      BA (Hons.) Combined Studies of Art and Design, Univ. of Ulster, Belfast
1991-1995      Interior Architecture, Fachhochschule Lippe, Detmold
1988-1991      Apprenticeship as a furniture maker
Foundry practice and ceramic shell casting, BIFHE, Belfast
City and Guilds welding certificate, BIFHE, Belfast

 

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