Mercedes Helnwein was born in Austria, but spent her childhood in Co. Tipperary. Her father is the renowned painter cum art provocateur Gottfried Helnwein and at an early age she proved true the old adage of apples and trees. Art was in her blood as well as on her mind. She began working as a writer of short stories and has published works in various magazines and literary journals - fiction as well as non-fiction.
She exhibited her drawings for the first time in Los Angeles in 2000. Borrowing from a list of influences as varied as southern blues, turn of the century Russian literature, and sixties comic book artists, Helnwein's work garnered high praise from even the most hardened critics. Intricate and emotional, her detailed sketches were highly sought after by the upper echelon of Los Angeles art collectors - those with a sense for a young talent with a bright and expansive future.
In 2003, she instigated the America Motel project, an art installation based on a fifteen-day trip through the American Midwest and South. She wrote the accompanying book for the exhibition, entitled Devil Got Religion. The book and exhibition met with great critical acclaim, being covered in such publications as the LA Times.They were also chosen by art writer and critic Peter Frank to be part of an exhibition entitled In America Now.
The Book of Disquiet, a series of drawings based on the seven deadly sins, opened in December, 2005, in downtown Los Angeles. With the success of her exhibitions and reviews in such publications as the LA Times, i-D, Tank and Flaunt her art has been making a lasting impression on the Los Angeles art scene.
The Molesworth Gallery is delighted to present Mercedes Helnwein's first exhibition in Dublin.
