Barbara Cullen is a Dublin-based visual artist whose work explores themes of nature, regeneration, femininity, memory, and the cosmos. Her practice draws on personal experience, the physical world, and intuitive perception, with recurring motifs including botanical forms, life cycles, and ancestral connections.

Working primarily in oils and watercolours, Barbara began painting as a teenager and later earned a First-Class Honours degree in Fine Art Painting from NCAD. Her degree show, Journey, was an immersive installation exploring the stages of pregnancy. She holds a Botanical Illustration Certificate from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, and is a long-standing member of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists.

Barbara has exhibited widely across Ireland and internationally, including solo and group shows at the National Botanic Gardens, Trinity College, RHA Gallery, and in India and Italy. Her work is held in public and private collections, including the OPW and major hospitals in Dublin. Alongside her studio practice, she spent over 20 years as an arts facilitator in disability and rehabilitation services.

Residencies and Awards

Annamacarrig Studio Residency, 1992
St. Brendan’s Studio Residency, 1994
Arts Council Travel Award, 1995
Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Award (India), 1999
IMMA Student Placement, HDip in Community Arts Education, NCAD
Set Design – Toyboys: The Musical, Draíocht Theatre, Blanchardstown