Genieve Figgis is known for her macabre reimaginings of aristocratic portraiture, where historical opulence meets grotesque distortion. Working primarily in acrylic, Figgis draws from the traditions of 18th-century Rococo and Georgian painting, infusing her lavish scenes with irony, horror, and dark humor. Her melting figures, eerie domestic spaces, and theatrical interiors unravel the illusion of refinement, offering a critique of wealth, power, and the fleeting nature of beauty.
Figgis’s works often depict ghostly nobles, blurred and dissolving under sumptuous brushwork, suggesting both decadence and decay. Lavish costumes, chandeliers, and fine furniture serve as backdrops for hauntingly abstracted characters, creating unsettling tableaus that feel both grand and ghoulish. Even in the absence of figures, as in her depictions of lavish bedrooms or salons, a sense of presence—and absence—lingers.
After earning her MFA from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, in 2012, Figgis gained international recognition through social media, leading to a wave of exhibitions across Europe, the U.S., and China. Her work is held in prominent public and private collections, including the Pérez Art Museum (Miami), Bass Museum (Miami), and Aishti Foundation (Beirut). She has had solo exhibitions with Almine Rech, Harper’s, and Half Gallery, and was recently named a muse for Simone Rocha’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection. Figgis lives and works in County Wicklow, Ireland. ...
Founded in 1997, Harper’s is dedicated to exploring relationships between fine art and print media. Drawing on founder Harper Levine’s decades-long career as a rare book dealer, the original location at 87 Newtown Lane remains a cultural hub of the East End.
