Wade, Jonathan – artist

To be unveiled on 31 May 2025. Jonathan Wade (1941-1973), described as possibly the finest Irish visual artist of the last century, was on his way home to Clondalkin when he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident on the Monastery Road in the early hours of 22nd of January 1973. He was only 31.

John’s first solo exhibition was held in the Fergus O’ Farrell studios in 1966, followed by the
Royal Hibernian Academy in 1968. His largest and most important solo exhibition was held in
the Project Arts Centre on Abbey Street in 1970, with a collection of thirty-seven paintings on
show. At this point in his life, John had been spending time in Dublin’s dockyards, submerging
himself in the landscape of the city. This led to the creation of a series of paintings depicting
landscapes of rusted metal junk – a crumbling, industrial world.

Other notable exhibitions included: The Oireachtas Exhibition (1972), the Davis Gallery (1972),
Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery (1973), the Museum of Modern Art in Paris (1973) and Trinity
College Dublin Retrospective Exhibition (1975).