NATIONAL DRAWING DAY 2026: Gerard Byrne Gallery

Overview

Gerard Byrne Gallery is proud to partner once again with the National Gallery of Ireland for National Drawing Day 2026 — a nationwide celebration of drawing and creativity taking place on Saturday, 16 May 2026.

This year, we open our doors to the public with a performance of live drawing by Gerard Byrne. Step into the world of one of Ireland's most celebrated artists and experience his proccess up close. The event includes an exclusive Q&A session with the artist himself, offering a rare window into Byrne's practice and his mastery of the medium. 

 

The current exhibition Before I Go. Vanishing brings together over fifty uniquely Dublin cityscapes by Gerard Byrne — Georgian terraces, Victorian facades, charming pubs, and beloved pockets of verdure that continue to define his practice. Among the highlights are seven of Byrne's outstanding large-scale charcoal drawings on canvas — monumental works that reward slow looking and reward it generously.

 

Whether you're a lifelong admirer of Byrne's work or simply curious about the art of drawing, this is a wonderful opportunity to spend a Saturday morning in the company of beautiful art — and the people who make it.

"National Drawing Day is a celebration for everyone — from seasoned draughtsmen to those picking up a pencil for the very first time." 

 


 

For centuries, drawing was fundamental to the production of art and design, a method of metamorphosis which brought artistic vision to life. Yet, in an era of increasingly digitised art, conceptual drawing and visualisation, draughtsmanship is in danger of becoming the skill of a bygone generation. 

Considered a Modern Impressionist, Gerard Byrne’s creative process embodies the expertise of his artistic forebearers, beginning with a freehand charcoal sketch drawn directly onto the canvas. While known primarily for his finished oil paintings, Byrne sometimes chooses to leave a sketch as it is, in its loose, expressive, monochromatic form. 

Once playfully called ‘stop paintings’, in that they are halfway between creative conception and finished oil painting, these drawings offer not only a glimpse into Byrne’s artistic practice, but an insight into his artist’s eye.