Orla de Brí
Short Biography
Irish Sculptor Orla de Brí has completed 27 site-specific large-scale sculptures in Ireland, America, Portugal and Istanbul Turkey. Her practice spans both public art and Gallery and she has just finished her ninth solo show with The Solomon Fine art Gallery, Dublin.
de Brí works from her purpose-built studio in Ireland, she also has a studio in Spain where she collaborates with a foundry in Madrid.
She works primarily in bronze, steel and fiberglass. de Brí has exhibited internationally in cities such as London, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. Her sculptures also feature in numerous prominent private collections here in Ireland and abroad.
In Ireland her work is featured in many public collections, including University of Limerick, Aer Rianta, U.S Embassy; Dublin Castle, Bank of Ireland, RTE and The Office of Public Works.
In the last few years de Brí was commissioned to create a 7-meter sculpture for the international Sabanci Collection in Istanbul and an 8.5-Meter site-specific work for The University of Limerick.
One of her most notable pieces is on the roof of 14th Century Bevelly Castle, consisting of a 3-meter human figure and a 5-meter 24ct gold leaf tree. This is situated at the entrance to the Great Island, Cobh, Co Cork.
This year she completed two site-specific large-scale sculptures for Upstate New York and has just installed a site-specific sculpture in Portugal.
“ At the core of my work is an exploration of how we connect with our surroundings and relate to others”
Artist Statement
My work is deeply personal and is often a reflection of my own journey through life. At the same time, it is shaped by what is happening in the world around me.
I have always believed that sculpture can communicate ideas and emotions that are difficult to express through words, creating a space where personal experience and collective histories can meet. Growing up in Ireland during a time when women were heavily constrained by church and state had a profound impact on me. Although much has changed, that history continues to inform my thinking and my work.
Themes of autonomy, identity, resilience, belonging and social justice often emerge through my sculptures, sometimes directly and sometimes as quieter undercurrents within the work. Alongside my artistic practice, I have been involved in activism around womens rights, climate change and humanitarian issues.
I have always felt a strong response to injustice, and many of my sculptures begin as an emotional reaction to events, experiences or conversations. Some works function as a quiet protest, while others explore issues such as mental health, environmental concerns, suppressed sexuality, or the lasting effects of social and political systems on individual lives.
While aesthetics and form are important to me, concept is always at the heart of what I do. Each sculpture carries a story, a question, or a reflection on the world we inhabit. I am interested in creating works that invite contemplation and empathy, encouraging viewers to connect their own experiences to the narratives held within the piece.
The process of making is central to my practice. I spend a great deal of time understanding and experimenting with materials, allowing them to guide and shape the work. The studio is a place of exploration where ideas evolve through making. Often, I enter a state of complete immersion where time disappears and the sculpture begins to reveal itself.
In those moments, the material, the process and the idea become inseparable. Ultimately, my work seeks to find a balance between beauty and meaning, creating sculptures that are visually engaging while carrying deeper layers of emotional, social and political resonance.
