About me

I am a visual artist with a passion for travelling and reading. My changing world view and portrayal of mankind as a result of many travels and moving countries, which I mix with personal reflections, reveries and challenges is where I find my inspiration. I explore the significance of wandering and how this influences our perception of the world.

This results in paintings, drawings and prints that provide a series of encounters with images that are puzzling and reveal a hint of intrigue, while based on musings of the world surrounding us. My work offers curious glimpses and perspectives, moments often overlooked, figments of memories, open questions without answers.

I am a Belgian artist living and working between Belgium and Ireland since 2008. I have an MA in Fine Art (LUCA School of Arts –Belgium) and an MA in Cultural Policy & Art Management (University Antwerp Management School – Belgium). I have exhibited both nationally and internationally including recent solo shows in Arvada Art Gallery – Belgium and An Táin Arts Centre – Ireland. My work is represented in private and public collections in Ireland, the UK and in Belgium. I have received awards from Create Louth, Creative Ireland and the Arts Council of Ireland in recent years.

Curriculum Vitae

Name: Els Borghart
Art studio: Millmount Cultural Quarter, Unit 7 & 8, Millmount Square, Drogheda. County Louth, Ireland
E-mail: elsborghart@gmail.com

2005- 2006

University Antwerp Management School (UAMS), Antwerp, Belgium
Post-Ma Cultural Policy & Art Management
Graduated with distinction

2001- 2005

LUCA School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium
Ma in Fine Art
Graduated with distinction

2023

Choir of our Mind, as part of Creative Ireland and Culture Night, Millmount Cultural Quarter, Drogheda, Ireland

2022

The golden hour, 3 person exhibition with Declan Kelly and Ana Caetano, Arteventura, Aracena, Spain

2020

Elusive Encounters, Solo exhibition, Arvada Gallery, Genk, Belgium
A drawing a day…, Solo exhibition, Basement Gallery, An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, Ireland
A drawing a day…, Online solo exhibition, Covid-19 crisis online programming of An Táin arts Centre

2016

Presence of the forgotten, Solo exhibition, Kunstplatform Zebrastraat, Ghent, Belgium
Presence of the forgotten, Solo exhibition, Toradh Gallery, Ashbourne, Ireland
Ithaca, Joint exhibition with Declan Kelly, South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Ireland
On the way/ Onderweg, Joint exhibition with Declan Kelly, An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, Ireland

2015

Onderweg/ On the way, Joint exhibition with Declan Kelly, Galerie De Wandelgangen, Nevele, Belgium
Between here and you, Joint exhibition with Alison Cronin, Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Ireland

2013

Everything that is not there, Solo exhibition, Upstairs Gallery, Kilkenny, Ireland

2004

Galerie de Wandelgangen, Nevele, Belgium

2021

The plinth, biannual, SMAK, Gent, Belgium
LUSTRUM, Zebrastraat Gallery, Gent, Belgium

2020

Zurich Portrait Prize, Crawford Gallery, Cork, Ireland

2019

Zurich Portrait Prize, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Halftone Print Fair, The Library Project, Dublin, Ireland

2018

Printworks, Curated by Dorothy Smith, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Ireland

2017

Orientation, Curated by Dorothy Smith, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Ireland

2015

BACK/STAY, Site specific group exhibition, curated by Jeroen Laureyns, Ghent, Belgium
RUA RED Winter Open, RUA RED, Dublin, Ireland
Selected group exhibition, Engage Longford, Longford, Ireland

2013

We Want You, Selected group exhibition, Avenue Road Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Avenue Festival, Hive Emerging, Waterford, Ireland
Culture Night, The Print Point, Drogheda, Ireland

2012

Unified, Exhibition of 4 artists, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Ireland
Culture Night, The Print Point, Drogheda, Ireland

2011

Culture Night, The Print Point, Drogheda, Ireland

2010

Winter Group Show, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Ireland

2008

Open Ateliers # 7, Nucleo, Ghent, Belgium

2007

6th Printmaking Biannual, Le Hangar, Liège, Belgium
Open Ateliers # 6, Nucleo, Ghent, Belgium

2006

Identiteitsbom, Selected in situ exhibition, Kortrijk, Belgium

2005

Graduation show, LUCA School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium
Gallery ‘Till Roses’, Hansbeke, Belgium

2004

Gallery Till Roses, Hansbeke, Belgium
Komijn met Pruimen, in situ exhibition, Ghent, Belgium
LUCA School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium

2003

LUCA School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium

2002

LUCA School of Arts, Ghent, Belgium

2023, Agility Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2023, Creative Ireland Community Grant Fund
2022, Theatre Bursary with Declan Kelly, Arts Council of Ireland
2022, Louth Culture Quest commission, An Táin Arts Centre and Arts Council of Ireland
2022, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, Arts Act Grant, Create Louth
2021, Agility Award, Arts Council of Ireland
2020, A drawing a day…, commissioned as part of Covid-19 lockdown programming of An Táin arts Centre
2020, Creative Ireland Community Grant Fund, with artist Declan Kelly and Drogheda youth Development
2019, de:LUX Commission, Púca Festival
2019, Púca Festival Commission for Drogheda, with artist Declan Kelly, Púca Festival
2019, Winner of the Drogheda Arts Festival Commission, with artist Declan Kelly, Drogheda Arts Festival
2018, Green Fleadh Cheoil Public Art Commission, with artist Declan Kelly, Louth County Council
2017, Shortlisted for the Contemporary Drawing Award ‘Kunst aan je Muur’, Ateljee 15, Belgium
2014, Tyrone Guthrie Bursary Award, Create Louth
2013, Awarded tax-exempt status, Revenue Commissioners
2013, Visual Arts Curator Residency Award with NeXus Arts (now known as ELS + DECLAN), Arts Council
2012, Travel & Training Award, Arts Council
2009, Visual Artist Support, Drogheda Borough Council

Belgian State Art Collection
Meath County Arts Collection
Louth County Arts Collection
Private collections in Belgium, Ireland, the UK and the USA.

2022, Professional summer artist residency programme, Arteventura, Spain
2021, Professional artist summer residency programme, Arteventura, Spain
2019, Visual artist residency, Arteventura, Spain
2016, Tyrone Guthrie Artist Residency, Annaghmakerrig, Ireland
2016, Shortlisted for Ragdale, USA
2016, Shortlisted for SIM, Iceland
2015, Tyrone Guthrie Artist Residency, Annaghmakerrig, Ireland
2015, Cill Rialaig Artist Residency, Ballinskelligs, Ireland
2012, 6 week residency with Nucleo vzw, Belgium
2006-2008, Resident artist with Nucleo vzw, Belgium
2004, Erasmus programme at the Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland

2019, LUCA School of Arts, Guest lecture about ‘The artist life’, Ghent, Belgium