Artist Salvatore delivers masterclass in Stradbally

LAOIS Arts Office presented a top-class exhibition by celebrated portrait artist Salvatore of Lucan (Salvatore Fullam), who delivered a masterclass to 12 participants of the Laois Arts Adult Summer Artist Programme in Stradbally, then included their oil paintings in a striking joint display at Laois Arthouse.

The wonderful works were created in four days at Stradbally Malt House and the exhibition launch took place on the fourth day, Friday 19 June.

The artists from Laois and surrounding counties who took part in the masterclass and have their works in the 15-piece exhibition alongside three of Salvatore’s are Agnes Devlin, Heather Rice, Hazel Restrick, Evelyn Duff, Margaret Deegan, Nuala O’Sullivan, Pádraig ÓFlannabhra, Lucina Russell, Ruth Barry, Sheila Hough, Mark Fisher and Lucy Hood.

Salvatore of Lucan is a contemporary Irish artist whose practice serves as a vivid and surreal diary of his own life. The talented artist adopted the moniker to honour his hometown of Lucan in Dublin while giving a nod to the tradition of Renaissance masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, whose real name was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, with the ‘da Vinci’ simply meaning of Vinci, the name of the Tuscan village where he was born, hence Salvatore of Lucan.

Salvatore’s work is characterised by a magical realist approach, where ordinary domestic scenes are infused with a sense of the uncanny, psychological depth and vibrant, saturated colour.

Some of Salvatore’s career highlights include winning the prestigious Zurich Portrait Prize in 2021 for his piece Me Ma Healing Me, a large-scale work depicting his mother practicing sound healing, a piece praised for its intimacy and technical mastery. In 2024, he was commissioned to paint a series of six former taoisigh for King’s Inns, which brought a modern, revitalised energy to traditional institutional portraiture.

In 2025, his portrait of Irish football legend Paul McGrath was unveiled at the National Gallery of Ireland, capturing the icon with a signature blend of vulnerability and strength.

Starting proceedings, Laois arts officer Muireann Ni Chonaill congratulated Salvatore and the 12 artists on their fine exhibition titled Double Portraits. She thanked the members of Laois Co Council for their support, county librarian Bernie Foran, assistant arts officer Monica Flynn, Donna Wright and head of finance and culture Julie Bergin, who also spoke and congratulated everyone involved before handing over to the cathaoirleach of Laois Co Council Barry Walsh, who also congratulated everyone involved and officially opened the exhibition.

Salvatore spoke to the Laois Nationalist shortly before the launch: He said: “I’m half Irish and half Bangladeshi. My ma thought I’d come out looking a bit Italian, so she named me Salvatore. I don’t know my dad and I’m from Lucan. People always ask me where I’m from. I’m from an Irish family, so it made sense to me to call myself Salvatore of Lucan like Leonardo da Vinci means Leonardo of Vinci.

“I had a show in the Dunamaise Art Centre from February until April and I was approached by the arts office to see if I would be interested in running a masterclass with a group of artists with a group exhibition at the end. The group was amazing and how well everyone does in a class is determined by an unquantifiable group. My mate Liam always says that the collective name for a group of artists is an individual of artists. You’re trying to respond to the group and getting them to trust the process and they can add whatever they like in between the processes. They were a fantastic group.” Salvatore said that he is currently being filmed by a documentary team for a semi-fictional narrative show on his dad’s life. Despite not knowing his dad he is making it up through a series of paintings. He added that it starts with a true event that he knows happened to his dad as a kid and ends with the last that he heard from him having met him once in 2018. He said: “I’m taking two parts that I know to be true and making up the middle.”

  Double Portraits is well worth visiting and remains on show at Laois Arthouse in Stradbally until Saturday 18 July during opening hours.