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Rowan Gillespie, born in Dublin in 1953 to Irish parents, spent his formative years in Cyprus where his father was a medical doctor. The brilliant Mediterranean light and a state of civic unrest are his abiding memories of this time. By the age of seven he was sent to boarding school in England, although the family remained in Cyprus until he was ten. In 1969 he attended York School of Art where he was first introduced to bronze casting by the sculptor Sally Arnup. At this time he met his wife to be, Hanne. In 1970 he attended Kingston College of Art where he was tutored by woodcarver John Robson and through whom he met, and was encouraged by, Henry Moore. Following his studies at York and Kingston, he completed his studies at the Statens Kunstole in Oslo. He lectured for three years at the Munch Museum, the Norwegian painter having a profound influence on him, both conceptually and manifestly. Munch remains the great artistic influence on him up to the present day. At the age
of 21 he married Hanne, they had their first child Alexander, and
he held his first solo exhibition in Norway. In 1977 he returned
to Dublin where he set up his foundry/workshop and established himself
in the years between 1977 and 1995 with Solo shows, Arts Fairs and
numerous group shows throughout Europe and the United States. He
then moved his attention to site specific works, most notably The
Famine Series in 1996/7 and "Ripples of Ulysses" in 2000/1.
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