Graham Knuttel – 1954 – 2023
Graham Knuttel was an Irish painter and sculptor, who attended the Dún Laoghaire school of Art and Design. In 1976 he won the Royal Canada Trust Award for young Sculptors and co-founded Wicklow Fine-Art Press in 1981.
Known for his bold use of contrasting colours and exaggerated shapes, Knuttel depicted human and animal figures in urban environments with acrylics and oils, some of his painted characters being a direct reflection of himself like Mr. Punch or drawn from personal experiences. He also worked with bronze and papier mache .
Knuttel grew an important reputation outside Ireland with his works being collected by various celebrities, such as Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro Frank Sinatra and F1 Driver Eddie Jordan. He also received a number of commissions including portraits for painter Patrick Collins and singer Christy Moore.