I'm Paul Hallahan, an Irish artist based at the Fire Station Artists’ Studios in Dublin. My work is a continuous returning to the core questions of nature, perception, and that shifting ground between clarity and uncertainty. I primarily paint, but my practice also includes sculpture and video; each medium offers me a slightly different route toward contemplation.

My paintings are built up slowly, through thin, layered washes that are meant to hold and reflect light. Rather than presenting a fixed image, I want them to remain open and fluid, changing subtly with time, light, and perspective. Each piece becomes an environment in itself; atmospheric, temporal, and elusive. They resist finality, and instead, they invite close attention, asking the person viewing them to simply linger.

My video works share this same sensibility. They are minimal in composition and very steady in pace, centering on duration and focus. Meaning emerges gradually, not through sharp definition, but through repetition, softness, and drift. These works favour patience over resolution and invite viewers to stay for a while with the uncertainty.

I see my practice as thoughtful and measured, grounded in the belief that visual work can hold a space for reflection and remain active long after it’s been made. Whether on canvas or on screen, the works speak quietly, holding presence without insistence.

In 2009, I founded Soma Contemporary in Waterford with the support of Waterford City Council. The gallery ran until 2012, providing a platform for emerging visual artists and experimental practices including music. Since then, my work has been exhibited widely, internationally and across Ireland in spaces such as the Royal Hibernian Academy, Hang Tough Contemporary, The Lab, and The Complex in Dublin, as well as Berlin Opticians Gallery and Roscommon Arts Centre.

I was honoured to receive the Golden Fleece Award in 2018. My paintings are now held in both public and private collections, including The Arts Council, Trinity College Dublin, Kildare County Council, and the Office of Public Works.

Supported by Fire Station Artists Studios 2023 - 2026
Supported by Arts Council of Ireland 2025
Supported by Kildare County Council 2025