Frances Leogue

Field Trip, 2025

Oil on linen | Unframed: 40 x 30 cm

‘Field Trip is a self-portrait based on a photograph taken during fieldwork in South Africa with Trinity College Masters students studying Biodiversity and Conservation. The work captures the intensity of the African sunlight, reflected in the vibrant use of colour and shadow. The sandstone backdrop references the geology of the Waterberg region, near the site of ancient San rock paintings, subtly connecting the figure to the surrounding landscape and its deep cultural and natural history.’ - Frances Leogue.

Frances Leogue is a self-taught, Dublin-based artist, who works primarily in oils to create intimate, contemplative portraits. Her aim is to capture people in unguarded moments, when they appear unaware of being observed, and to produce portraits that possess a sense of stillness and authenticity. Light plays a vital role in her work, guiding her use of colour and uncovering subtle tones hidden within shadows and detail. She explores these themes through portraiture, and in her ongoing series of paintings, The Cloakroom. She has exhibited regularly at the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts since 2017 and at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts since 2020.

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