Patrick Hickey was born in Bannu – formerly in India, now in Pakistan – in 1927. His family returned to Bedford, England when Hickey was still a child. Passionate about art since a young age and determined to become an artist, Hickey nonetheless made the pragmatic choice to study a safer trade. This prompted a move to Ireland to study architecture at University College Dublin (1948-1954). Following his graduation, he worked under architect Michael Scott to get a sense of the profession.
It is during this apprenticeship that he began to dedicate most of his free time to art. The fact that his first exhibition, ‘Wicklow landscapes’ at the Irish Exhibition of Living Art, came merely a year after his graduation is proof of his dedication. In 1957, Hickey adopted the technique that would become synonymous with his art: printmaking. The same year, he was awarded a scholarship by the Italian Government. The eight months spent in the Mediterranean country were fruitful; at the Scuolo del Libro in Urbino he learnt the techniques of etching and lithography.
Though relatively short, this trip to Italy was a turning point, as it provided an education and opportunities inaccessible in Ireland at the time. This realisation encouraged him to address the situation at home by founding the Graphic Studio in 1961 on 18 Upper Mount Street, Dublin, which greatly participated in the emergence of modern graphic art in Ireland. Hickey, the driving force behind the project, remained the studio’s leading figure until 1970, when the responsibility was henceforth transferred to Mary Farl Powers.
Keen to substantially develop artistic education in Ireland, Hickey got involved with the National College of Art and Design after stepping down from the Graphic Studio’s direction. Despite complicated working relationships with peers and colleagues with whom he rarely saw eye to eye with (especially politically), Hickey was appointed member of the college board in May 1972.
Artistically, a trip to Corfu represented, after Italy, a seminal experience. There he created his celebrated etching series ‘Months’, distinguishable for its decorative line work often compared to Japanese print art. Although unaware of the traditional Japanese motifs at the time, Hickey became enamoured with them and grew into a knowledgeable collector. Perhaps this appreciation led to the refinement of his own work on the Alphabet (1988) and Aesop’s fables (1990) series.
In 1973, an unfortunate Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, rather than weaken the artist spirit, was the impetus for new projects. He took on teaching positions and read art history and Italian at University College Dublin (1980-1984), was appointed head of painting at the National College of Art and Design in 1986, and was made an honorary member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland in 1989. Even if by 1990 he was too diminished to continue teaching, he still held an exhibition in 1997.
Hickey passed away in 1998. A posthumous exhibition of his landscape prints from the 1970s was held at the Graphic Studio Gallery in 2000.
