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Biography

Anthony Carey beside a large abstract painting during the Belonging exhibition at Scariff Gallery.

ABOUT ANTHONY CAREY

Anthony Carey is an Irish artist based in Dublin. His work explores memory, grief, and the quiet, difficult process of healing. Painting began for him as a way to process emotional weight that had no other outlet.


After the loss of loved ones who brought joy into his life, he experienced a period of floating, a sense of disconnection that words couldn’t fully hold. Painting became a tether. Something physical. Something real.


His earlier work came through force. Paint and plaster were pushed, dragged, scraped back. The surface carried the intensity of what was being felt but not spoken. Over time, that urgency gave way to something more still.


As his practice shifted into abstraction and figuration, the physical became quieter, the movement slower. The work began to hold a different kind of space. Carey’s figures often appear broken, incomplete, or dissolving into the surface. They reflect something shared, how we fracture, how we hold ourselves together, how we return to what remains.


Themes of isolation continue to run through the work. When his daughter left Ireland, it opened up new questions around presence and distance, and deepened his awareness of the quiet grief that comes with change.


Alongside this, his interest in mythology, spirituality, and Jungian archetypes has grown. His figures sometimes echo the energy of the Wanderer, or the Shadow, archetypes that carry emotional weight without needing to be explained. He sees them not as symbols to be decoded, but as something remembered by the body. His current direction is exploratory, led by curiosity more than concept, drawn toward gesture, ritual, and what it means to remain.


What grounds it all is a simple belief: that painting can be a sanctuary. A place to stay with what hurts or lingers, without turning away from it. A place to hold something quietly, and to offer it without demand.


As Carey puts it, “Yes, we are here. We exist. We have purpose. And we are safe.”

Whether it’s true or not, the work returns to that idea, gently, again and again.


His paintings have been exhibited in Ireland and internationally, including at the Chianciano Biennale in 2022, and are held in private collections across Europe, North America, and Australia.

"While Monet painted the changes within the work itself; Carey records the reverberations directly on his work… both sharing a core appreciation for color, texture, light, shadow, and transitions. I hope you enjoy his day in this moment."


Jennifer Gillie Cutshall, Curator, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA.


Explore Anthony Carey’s Artistic Practice
Through These Frequently Asked Questions


  • What inspires Anthony Carey’s abstract art?

    Anthony Carey’s work is shaped by themes of resilience, belonging, and emotional transformation. His art draws heavily from Jungian archetypes like the Wanderer and the Shadow.


    Learn about the inspiration behind Anthony Carey's abstract art

  • WHAT EMOTIONS ARE CENTRAL TO ANTHONY CAREY’S ABSTRACT ART?

    Anthony Carey’s abstract art explores emotions tied to belonging, resilience, memory, and healing. His textured, fractured figures embody both vulnerability and strength, creating visual spaces where viewers can reflect on personal and collective experiences.


    Explore emotional themes in the Belonging series

  • How does Carl Jung influence Anthony Carey’s art?

    Carl Jung’s theories on the collective unconscious and archetypes deeply influence Carey’s figurative abstraction. His work invites viewers into a symbolic world of inner conflict and healing.


    Read the full article on Jungian influence

  • What does “belonging” mean in Carey’s art?

    'Belonging' in Anthony Carey’s work is both personal and universal — a search for connection amidst fragmentation. It’s explored visually through layered textures and fractured figures.


    Explore the Belonging Series

  • What materials does Anthony Carey use in his paintings?

    Anthony Carey works with plaster, acrylics, industrial adhesives, and mesh to create richly textured surfaces. These materials express vulnerability, erosion, and emotional weight.


    See materials in the biography


    Explore textured works  in the portfolio.

  • HOW DOES ANTHONY CAREY CREATE TEXTURE IN HIS ART?

    Anthony Carey builds texture using layered techniques with plaster, acrylics, industrial adhesives, and mesh. These materials are applied, scraped, and sometimes cut back to reveal emotional depth and physical tension, reflecting the fragility and resilience explored in his paintings.


    Learn more about Carey's use of materials in his biography

  • Where has Anthony Carey exhibited his work?

    Anthony’s art has been shown internationally. From the Chianciano Biennale in Italy to exhibitions across the USA, Canada, Australia, and Ireland.


    See Anthony Carey's full exhibition history

Selected Career Highlights

  • Award Winner – Chianciano Biennale, Italy, 2022 (Abstract Category)
  • Solo Exhibitions – Belonging: A Quest for Home (2024), Small Talk (2022)
  • International Group Shows – USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Australia
  • Publications – Connection, Letters from Dublin (2020), Ask Me Arse (2020 & 2025 ed.)
  • Film Recognition – 10+ international awards for Story, a one-minute film
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