about mark

Mark Baker is a rising Irish artist from Dublin. At the age of 26 Mark has emerged as one of the most prominent portrait artists in Ireland. He has been painting and sketching since he was a child. His talent was recognised early on, when at just 5 years old he won an art competition to have one of his paintings displayed in the National Art Gallery in Dublin. Since he began to draw and paint Mark has focused on producing high quality detailed portraits. His paintings are exhibited around Ireland and many of these paintings are snapped up before they are on view to the public.

Mark has an honours BA Degree in Arts from University College Dublin. He first exhibited his work in the Trinity Gallery in February 2006 for six months. Mark was selected as their artist of the month on several occasions, with his work selling out completely. From August 2006 to present Mark has been exhibiting his work in The Green Gallery, St. Stephens Green Dublin. Mark works extremely hard to keep up with the demand for his work. He feels very lucky to be so successful at such a young age.

Mark’s work is instantly recognisable by his extremely detailed style of painting, his unique mode of expression within his portrait paintings, and likeness of his subject. Mark's exhibited works are predominantly from his own life’s passions, music, sport and film and the interesting personalities within these areas. So far his work can be categorised in three styles (‘Live’, ‘In III’, ‘In Black’), which have all proved equally popular among art collectors. Bono, Colin Farrell, Phil Lynott, Christy Moore, Luke Kelly, Sinead O’Connor, David Bowie, Shane MacGowan, and Johnny Cash are among the numerous subjects that Mark has painted. A huge fan of U2 and Thin Lizzy from an early age, he is lucky enough to have some of his works signed by both Bono and The Edge, and Philomena Lynott. Other well known fans include Debbie Harry, Dave Grohl, Liam Gallagher, Fergie, and Shane MacGowan.

Popular with many art-collectors, Mark's paintings now command a price tag of several thousand euros each, and are represented in numerous private collections. Mark’s painting Johnny Cash In Black was nominated for the final of the Irish Art Awards in 2007. Mark held his first solo exhibition in the Green Gallery St. Stephen’s Dublin in October 2008, which was opened by the Martin Cullen TD. Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism. Mark has exhibited in many group exhibitions and alongside artists such as Ronnie Wood at the Slane music festival and Niall O'Loughlin, Ireland’s premier caricaturist. Recently, Mark’s work was part of the exclusive Hotpress Phil Lynott Exhibition in Dublin in April 2011, a backstage VIP exhibition at Oxegen Music Festival in July 2011, and a successful solo show in London at the Bedfordbury Gallery, Covent Garden in October 2011.

' One of Ireland's brightest contemporary artists whose outstanding skills could take him almost anywhere.' - Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art